Charles Lewis is a grandson of Toni Roller and a son of Susan Roller.  He is a great-grandson of Margaret Tafoya.  Charles made pottery in the 1990's and was known for his creative designs and highly polished surfaces. While he no longer makes pottery his work continues the Tafoya family tradition of high quality and traditional techniques.

Toni Roller

Toni Roller is a daughter of Margaret Tafoya (1904-2001) and a sister of noted potters LuAnn Tafoya, Shirley Tafoya, Mary Ester Archuleta and Mela Youngblood. She is known for her deeply carved pottery as well as an exquisitely stone polished surface. Toni is committed to the precision of her pottery and each piece reflects the time and care she dedicates to her craft and continuing a centuries-long tradition. Toni has won numerous awards at Santa Fe Indian Market and the Heard Indian Market, and she has been featured in several books.

Margaret Tafoya

Margaret Tafoya is a daughter of noted potter Sara Fina Tafoya and a sister of potters Christina Naranjo and Camilio Tafoya.  She is the matriarch of a family of renown potters, each of whom created their distinctive styles.  Margaret Tafoya had twelve children, eight of whom became potters.  They include Virginia Ebelacker, Lee Tafoya, Toni Roller, LuAnn Tafoya, Mela Youngblood, Jennie Trammel, Mary Ester Archuleta, and Shirley Tafoya.  Her grandchildren, and today even her great-grandchildren carry on the pottery making tradition. Margaret Tafoya was a guardian of traditional pottery making methods and techniques.  She created large vessels with stone polished surfaces. Her carving was done before the piece was polished.  She produced her work from the 1920s through the 1980s. Throughout her career, Margaret Tafoya won numerous awards, including Best of Show at Santa Fe Indian Market in 1979 and 1980. She was also awarded the Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1984.

The book, "Born of Fire," follows her life and art over the many decades.  It is also the only book to identify her pottery by the decade produced by using the variations in her signature.  This book is the first complete biography of Margaret Tafoya's life. It is divided into decades, giving the reader a deeper understanding of her life and pottery over nearly 100 years. There are new biographies on Virginia Ebelacker, Richard Ebelacker, Lee Tafoya, Linda Tafoya, Jennie Trammel, Mela Youngblood, Nathan Youngblood, Nancy Youngblood, Toni Roller, Jeff Roller, LuAnn Tafoya, Daryl Whitegeese, Mary Ester Archuleta, and Shirley Tafoya. The photography of the pottery in this book is exceptional. Personal narratives by family members and family photographs throughout the book create a wonderful sense of her humanity and artistic accomplishments.

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