Ancestral Procession. Margarete Bagshaw. 2010 Oil on linen. Private Collection, Santa Fe

Three generations of Native American artists made history. Grandmother Pablita Velarde, Tse Tsan, Golden Dawn. Daughter Helen Hardin, Tsa-sah-wee-eh, Little Standing Spruce. Granddaughter Margarete Bagshaw. They broke ground for Native American women and all women in the arts. They achieved international recognition in a time when women were supposed to stay home and keep their heads down.

Margarete writes in her memoir of comparisons between her mother and grandmother and how they encouraged her to “swim upstream.” She compares their outlook on everything from men to carbs. Most crack me up while this one draws a line in the sand for the work of the soul…

“Not now, I have to paint.” — Mom

“Not now, I have to paint.” — Grandma

From Teaching My Spirit to Fly by Margarete Bagshaw, p. 49

I wish I’d known them. Reading their poetry, seeing their art is inspiration. I share this with great respect for all three pathfinders and invite you to explore the legacies of these incredible women…

Pablita Velarde in Her Own Words by Shelby J. Tisdale

Helen Hardin: A Straight Line Curved by Kate Nelson

Teaching My Spirit to Fly by Margarete Bagshaw