Origin: Akimel O'odham/Maricopa

Maricopa pottery making essentially was non-existent at the turn of the 20th century, but with the diligence of Elizabeth Hart of the United States Indian Service Home Extension Department, there was a revival, not only in production but also in quality of workmanship.

The Maricopa Reservation is located on the Salt River and Gila River region just outside Phoenix, Arizona. There are very few Maricopa Indians remaining, and almost no potters among them. A couple of the well-known names are Ida Redbird and Mable Sunn.

The Akimel O'odham River People (Pima) of Arizona were major basket makers in the late 19th century, primarily making pieces for their own use. At the turn of the century, basket weaving was being practiced in every home. This continued into the early 20th century, at which time Southwest Indian basketry became a collectible commodity. The problem was that the collectors and dealers only paid $1.00 to $3.00 for a basket. The women soon realized that it was not practical to spend weeks making a basket when they could pick cotton and earn $2.00 a day. By the 1920s, basket weaving all but disappeared. By 1960, they were not even making baskets for their own use. They had, by then, substituted commercially made pots and pans for utilitarian use.

The utilitarian shapes they had made for use included trays, bowls, jars, and a few miscellaneous forms. The trays were the graceful forms and could be shallow or deep. The bowls were deep and large in most cases, but occasionally might be smaller. Jars ranged from large storage vessels to small sizes for trinkets. Among miscellaneous forms that were not too abundantly made were cups, plaques, wastebaskets, footed pieces, and miniatures.

 Reference: Indian Baskets of the Southwest by Clara Lee Tanner, University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 1983.