Hello all! I’m Allyson Gray (she/her), a potter and enrolled citizen of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe. I have resided most of my life on the Reservation lands of my people, located in King William County, Virginia. I was always interested in the blackware pottery created by my Great Grandmother and other potters in my community. As a child, I participated in a traditional pottery class with the neighboring Mattaponi Tribe, but it just didn’t stick. I even had the opportunity to make some non-traditional ceramics while attending public school, but it still didn’t stick. But in 2019 I worked with potters in my community to facilitate some pottery classes. We decided to do a trial run with a couple of cousins and this time, it stuck. Since then, I have realized how much pottery is imbedded in my DNA and I have finally given in to it.

For Pamunkey people, pottery has been instrumental in our history and resilience. It not only served to produce items for use, trade or sale, it served as a way for us to connect with each other and the Earth. My goal now is to revitalize this craft in my own community while educating others of its importance to myself and the future of the Pamunkey people.