Dorothy Loretto Trujillo

1932 - 1999

BiographyBorn to a Laguna mother and a Jemez father, Dorothy Loretto Trujillo made Cochiti-style pottery. From the early age of 10, she was already making pottery figurines. She attended the San Diego Mission School and learned pottery making during summer vacations from her mother and grandmother. When she married Onofre Trujillo, she moved to Cochiti Pueblo and earned permission to use Cochiti clay. She was taught Cochiti-style pottery by her husband's aunt, Damacia Cordero. Dorothy made storytellers in the late 1960s and started making nativities around 1972. She shared her knowledge with others, teaching them the entire process of making traditional pottery, including two of her daughters. Before her death in the 1990s, Dorothy's pottery had been distinguished by a number of awards in prestigious competitions throughout the Southwest, including the Santa Fe Indian Market. One of her storytellers is in the collection of the Smithsonian Institute.

Person TypeIndividual