Oral History Interview with Vanessa Paukeigope Jennings Interview Conducted by Julie Pearson-Little Thunder April 14, 2016 Spotlighting Oklahoma Oral History Project Oklahoma Oral History Research Program Edmon Low Library ● Oklahoma State University © 2016 Spotlighting Oklahoma Oral History Project Interview History Interviewer: Julie Pearson-Little Thunder Transcriber: Madison Warlick Editors: Julie Pearson-Little Thunder, Emily Hull The recording and transcript of this interview were processed at the Oklahoma State University Library in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Project Detail The purpose of the Spotlighting Oklahoma Oral History Project is to document the development of the state by recording its cultural and intellectual history. This project was approved by the Oklahoma State University Institutional Review Board on April 15, 2009. Legal Status Scholarly use of the recordings and transcripts of the interview with Vanessa Paukeigope Jennings is unrestricted. The interview agreement was signed on April 14, 2016. 2 Spotlighting Oklahoma Oral History Project About Vanessa Paukeigope Jennings… Vanessa Jennings (Kiowa/Pima) sees herself as a traditional woman and her beadwork as a natural extension of that identity. Raised in Carnegie, Oklahoma by her grandparents, Jeannette Berry and Stephen Mopope, she makes a range of cultural items, from buckskin dresses to horse masks. Her cradleboards however, are perhaps her most sought after creations, and subject of a documentary video: Kiowa Cradleboard Maker: the Art and Tradition of Vanessa Jennings. An award winner at Santa Fe Indian Market, the beader was one of three Oklahomans to be named a National Heritage Fellow. She has also been designated a Living National Treasure by President Clinton and Honored One by the Red Earth Indian Arts Festival. In this interview, besides discussing her subject matter, creative approach and techniques, Jennings talks about Stephen Mopope’s artistic legacy and his strong work ethic. She recalls how she wore her Kiowa clothes to her high school graduation and explains the Kiowa class system and the status conveyed by beautiful cradleboards. She also shares her experiences of setting up a tipi on the Plaza during Santa Fe Indian Market. 3 Spotlighting Oklahoma Oral History Project Vanessa Paukeigope Jennings Oral History Interview Interviewed by Julie Pearson-Little Thunder April 14, 2016 Anadarko, Oklahoma Little Thunder My name is Julie Pearson Little Thunder. Today is Thursday, April 14, 2016, and I’m interviewing Kiowa-Apache-Gila River-Pima artist Vanessa Paukeigope Morgan at the Anadarko Public Library in Anadarko, Oklahoma… V. Jennings Jennings. Little Thunder Jennings. (Laughs) Of course. Thank you. We are—sponsored by the Oklahoma Oral History [Research] Program at Oklahoma State University. Vanessa, you have historic connections to art. Your grandfather was Stephen Mopope. V. Jennings Yes. Little Thunder And you’ve been in this business a long time. You’ve received a National Heritage Fellowship Award. You’ve won top awards at Santa Fe Indian Market and Red Earth for your beadwork, but you’re especially known for your cradleboards, which are featured in various museum collections and there’s one here at the library. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. Where were you born and where did you grow up? V. Jennings I was born in Tempe, Arizona. I’m a product of Relocation. My mother was a nurse and she traded a part of her education for working for Indian Health [Services]. I was born there in Arizona, and when I was just a few days old my grandmother came alone on a train and came to Arizona and brought me home. So this is my only home. Little Thunder So your grandma raised you over here in Anadarko area? 4 V. Jennings Yes. Little Thunder You told us a little bit about your mom. Anything you want to share about your dad? V. Jennings My dad, he was this big, strong, handsome man. He rodeoed and he got hurt after one of the rodeos and my mother was his nurse, one of his nurses. They met and they got married and I was born out there. Like I said, I was just a few days old and my grandmother came and got me and brought me back to Oklahoma. Little Thunder It wasn’t easy to take care of a little infant in those times, either. V. Jennings No, not during that time. Because you had to—it isn’t like the formula today. Everything’s ready-made and easy to do because you had to mix it, mix up the formula. The diapers, they didn’t have the kind of disposable diapers that they have now. It was really—babies were hard work. Little Thunder (Laughter) And you were supposed to be a grandma’s girl. V. Jennings Well, my mother was out there without really a support system. She was working, so it was really hard trying to find a babysitter for me. Her hours were—she worked the three-to-midnight or the midnight-to- eight o’clock shift. It was really difficult getting up—getting someone to watch me. It was just easier for my grandmother to come and get me. If my grandmother had not came and brought me home, I would’ve been disconnected. I wouldn’t have had a connection to my grandfather, my grandmother, with her beadworking, and with his painting, and their singing, their dancing, taking part. I would’ve missed out on all that. Little Thunder Right. You’ve talked a little bit already now about your exposure to Kiowa language and culture growing up. Anything you want to add to that? They gave you a good, strong base. V. Jennings Oh, it did. I would like to think that I could pass that along to my children and my grandchildren. Although, my grandchildren, it’s kind of a tossup. (Laughter) We have this wonderful little grandson, but he comes walking through the house, and one time he’s blonde, another time he’s got blue hair. I think last night it was kind of a rust. It’s just what he called “artistic expression, Grandma.” Little Thunder Right. V. Jennings I would prefer that he expressed himself by braids and pierced ears, you know? 5 Little Thunder Different generation. You explained that your grandma, of course, was doing beadwork. You were exposed to her bead art early. Any other family members that were an influence? V. Jennings No, it was just my grandparents. They—with my grandfather, what he was doing was recording a part of Kiowa culture that doesn’t exist anymore. At that time there was a really strong influence because of his uncles. Silver Horn and Ontigh—they were at the beginning of ledger art. They were recording after the free days onto the reservation. Then my grandfather, he started his artwork at the end of—I guess it’s the reservation period. He recorded through World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, until he passed away in 1974. He was prolific and he had this really strong work ethic. He would get up. Right after breakfast, he would start painting. Then he would take a break about nine o’clock, drink coffee. After his fifteen-minute break, then he’d start right back in and start working again. He would break for lunch and then he would work until after ten o’clock at night. He was always, always—it seemed like everything was a creative process for him. Little Thunder It was really his calling. He really took it seriously. Yeah. When did you make your first art of any kind? V. Jennings (Laughs) He fixed a—he found my missal. It was actually my mother’s missal and I was drawing flowers. I had this big, humongous print. I was just now learning how to write my name, Anyway, he has it. He’s got it. He’s my organizer. He organizes everything and it takes me no time to pull everything apart and throw it out of order. Little Thunder Now this is your husband, Carl, that found your missal. V. Jennings Oh, yes. He’s very patient and he’ll go back in and reorganize. I didn’t know—when I first started beadworking, I was beading for my children. I’ve never thought of myself as an artist. I’ve always identified myself as a traditional woman. I didn’t know that you were supposed to have a resume. I didn’t know you were supposed to keep copies of your work. Carl is the one who organized all of that into a resume for me, and collected all of my articles. He takes care of me. (Laughter) Little Thunder That’s wonderful. So when did you start beading? V. Jennings I was just a little girl. One of the first assignments is you pick Grandma’s beads up. Nothing’s ever wasted. If the beads drop on the floor, you pick them up. You put them on a string. Nothing was wasted. So you have this one big jar and there’s all of these beads. They’re all different sizes and colors. You just—you didn’t waste it. That was your 6 first assignment. My grandmother couldn’t get down and pick stuff off the floor, so that was your assignment. Little Thunder How about school? What was school like for you? Did you get any encouragement for any painting or drawing? V. Jennings No, no. In fact, I got in trouble with my mother. I used to wear—I went to school with my hair braided. I wore leggings. I didn’t realize that just being a traditional woman—I mean it was already…the seed was already planted.