The traditional Acoma pottery I make are still done using traditional methods. My clay is mined in Acoma, soaked & cleaned, then dried to grind into a fine powder. The temper I add are older and broken pieces that didnt survive firing, which are also ground and added to my clay mix. Depending on the size of my pots, the coil method is used for larger jars, or the pinch pot method is used along with utilizing tools made from gourds, wood or clay to shape. Paint sands & hematite rocks are all minerals mined and gathered in Acoma, as well as the wild spinach and yucca harvested. These are all used in my painting process. Pots are polished w/a white slip then painted. Firing is done using cow manure.