NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – In a quiet studio tucked inside Pojoaque Pueblo, every brushstroke tells a story rooted in identity. Now, one Cochiti Pueblo artist’s work will reach a wider audience than ever before.
Mateo Romero’s painted images of Indigenous dancers Tony and Violet Duncan and their family can now be seen on USPS Forever Stamps.
“It’s pictures of them; they’re portraits of Tony Duncan, he does the hoop dance. Violet Duncan, she’s First Nations Cree, she does the women’s traditional. And then their daughter is doing one of the fancy shawl dances. The fourth style is KamiJo Whiteclay, and she’s doing crow hop,” Romero explained.
The creative vision behind the stamps began with an art director for the United States Postal Service. Antonio Ancalá reached out to Romero with a clear vision in mind: “highlight Native art through Native eyes.”
“It’s such a rewarding honor to be involved in a stamp that represents such an important part of our nation’s heritage and culture and to know that it’s going everywhere in the United States,” said Ancalá.
At this year’s Gathering of Nations Powwow in Albuquerque, thousands of people flocked to EXPO New Mexico to celebrate Native American and Indigenous dances and culture. This year, Romero’s work held a special place in the event as the USPS held a first-day-of-issue ceremony for the “Powwows: Celebrating Native American Culture” stamps Friday.
This year’s Gathering of Nations celebration ends Saturday night at Expo New Mexico.
You can purchase the Forever Stamps by using this link.