The Truth behind Nemadji Pottery — or the Great American Indian Hoax?

Since the grand opening of Dogbotz Boneyard this past June, Dan and I have been selling in our Home Goods department a variety of Nemadji Pottery pieces. You know — wedding vases, ribbed ewers, miniature bowls, and so forth.

We love Nemadji Pottery because of the striking color splashes and swirls created by the natural clay during the firing process. No glazing is ever used on the exterior, leaving the vase or bowl with a creamy matte finish. Only the interiors of the pieces are glazed for firing and left glossy and water-resistant when done. Thus, one of the best incentives for collecting Nemadji Pottery lies in the fact that no two exteriors are ever the same. Though some of the shapes of various Nemadji Pottery pieces have been duplicated, the colorful swirls that decorate the exteriors are always unique. This is the creative, if not artistic, force of Nature at her most sublime.

One seldom contests this natural wonder, but the debate persists on who created Nemadji Pottery. Are the origins of this stunning pottery Native American or of some other culture? Now, we have stated in the descriptions of the Nemadji Pottery pieces sold at Dogbotz Boneyard that the works are not Native American, despite the fact that the word Nemadji itself, which translates loosely as “left-handed,” is Ojibwa (also known as Chippewa) in origin. And for many, it follows that, if the pottery bears a Native American name, it must be crafted by Native Americans.  Well, it isn’t.

There are numerous misinformed folks, including some collectors (which I find phenomenal), who believe that Nemadji Pottery must have been made by American Indians because the pieces are made from “native clay.” Hmmm, really? Could it be that the word native here implies the concept of “indigenous to the region,” not “indigenous peoples”? Others quirkily claim that Nemadji Pottery was made by Nemadji Indians. Hardly! Sorry, folks, but half of my genetic makeup is Ojibwa and I can tell you no Nemadji Indian tribe exists. There are those who are “lefties” such as my brother Michael, but they hardly constitute an entire tribe! Even more elaborate mythic musings have been generated based on the markings of Indian heads, canoes, etc., on the bottom of the pottery, which surely must confirm that these beautiful pieces are exotic art crafted by Native Americans. But, alas no; it just isn’t so. Nor are Ojibwa folk or other tribal nations the perpetrators of such inaccurate notions.

Instead, here are the facts behind the hoax.

Nemadji Tile and Pottery started production in Moose Lake, Minnesota, in 1923. Originally producing Nemadji Tile from clay collected at the Nemadji River, the studio produced Nemadji Pottery during the Depression to fuel tourist markets, usually in the western and northeastern United States. The pottery was marketed as “resembling” ancient Indian artifacts, so Nemadji Pottery became known euphemistically as “Indian” pottery. As stated earlier, the pottery’s name, which roughly translates as “left-handed,” originates from the Ojibwa language; however, the craftsmen originated mostly from Scandinavia.

Nemadji Pottery has a very distinctive look. It is typified by its swirled paint look, which was developed by Eric Hellman in 1929. Hellman went on to work for Van Briggle Pottery before World War II and opened the Garden of the Gods Pottery in Colorado Springs in 1950. The last Nemadji Pottery was produced during 2002.

There — you have it. Nonetheless, in the end, what’s truly remarkable about Nemadji Pottery isn’t the craftsmen who fashioned and fired it but the inherent breathtaking beauty of the clay revealed once fired.

Here are some delightful examples of Nemadji Pottery available through Dogbotz Boneyard’s Home Goods department, plus we’ve added some images of the brand marking:

Nemadji Bowl

Nemadji Wedding Vase

12″ Tall Nemadji Vase

Nemadji Pitcher

Mission-Vase Nemadji Vase

Nemadji Ribbed Vase

Standard Brand Marking

Indian River Brand Marking

“Native Clay” Brand Marking

Geegawabimin (roughly “Until later”),

Patrick Price
Proprietor
Dogbotz Boneyard, LLC
www.dogbotz.com