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A Field Guide to Southwest Jewelry · by Mateo James

What Is the Thunderbird Symbol in Southwest Jewelry?

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What Is the Thunderbird Symbol in Southwest Jewelry?

Thunderbird Symbol · Field Guide · Symbols & Iconography

The Thunderbird pendant as a distinct Southwest jewelry form emerged from Santo Domingo (Kewa) Pueblo in New Mexico during the Great Depression of the early 1930s. Artists working with found materials — celluloid from combs, bleached bone, and black rubber from car battery casings — created pendants whose shape and character became the namesake of an entire art form. The symbol is broadly associated with strength, protection, fertility, and abundance, though meaning varies significantly by pueblo.

Mateo's Field Notes

In the early 1930s, the Great Depression created severe economic hardship across New Mexico's Pueblo communities. Santo Domingo (Kewa) artists responded with a practical and creative solution: jewelry assembled almost entirely from discarded industrial objects. Components were hand-cut, shaped, and ground with stone, then refined with leather. The pieces were bonded with piñon sap, and later with Duco Cement. The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center records that "what elite art circles initially dismissed as 'tourist junk' became an important economic enterprise for Santo Domingo families."

The Thunderbird pendant became the defining form of this tradition. Its character was personal: as the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center notes, "the character of each thunderbird shape reflects an individual artist's creative aesthetic and personality." No two are identical. Between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Thunderbird's body evolved from an easily apprehended bird form into hourglass shapes and, eventually, elongated X forms — shorthand recognizable within the culture. This stylistic compression is part of how the symbol travels across generations and across tribes.

The Coriz family of Kewa Pueblo represents one of the most celebrated lineages in Thunderbird and Depression-era jewelry. Leo Coriz — a foundational figure in Kewa silversmithing — established a lineage continued by his daughter Mary Coriz Lovato and her son Isaac Coriz, who added his own signature variant to the family visual vocabulary.

Collector's note on meaning: The Thunderbird carries different significance for different Pueblo nations. Acoma Pueblo associates distinct ceremonial meaning with the Thunderbird — that meaning is not discussed here, and we would not attempt to characterize it. Collectors should understand that "Thunderbird" is not a single unified symbol with one fixed meaning.

Collector's Handbook

  • Depression-era provenance: Authentic Depression-era Santo Domingo Thunderbird pieces (1930s–1950s) used found materials — celluloid, bone, rubber, gypsum — assembled with piñon sap or Duco Cement. These pieces are historical artifacts as much as jewelry.
  • Shape evolution: Early Thunderbirds were more literally bird-shaped. Over time, the form compressed into hourglass and elongated-X silhouettes. Both are valid expressions of the tradition.
  • Meaning varies by pueblo: "Strength, protection, fertility and abundance" is a commonly cited summary (Indian Pueblo Store), but Acoma Pueblo holds distinct ceremonial associations with this symbol that are not publicly discussed. Ask the artist about their tradition before assuming a single meaning applies.
  • Coriz family: The Coriz lineage — Leo, Mary Coriz Lovato, Isaac Coriz — is one of the most recognized in this tradition. A piece by any of them represents living continuity with the Santo Domingo Depression-era origin story.

Artists in Our Directory

Leo Coriz (Kewa Pueblo) — foundational figure in Santo Domingo silversmithing and the Thunderbird tradition. Browse our full Southwest Silversmiths Directory for additional artists.

Related

References

  • Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. "Depression Era Jewelry." indianpueblo.org.
  • Indian Pueblo Store. "Thunderbird Symbol Meaning." indianpueblostore.com.
  • Dubin, Lois Sherr. North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment. Abrams, 1999.