A TRIBUTE TO A 12TH CENTURY JORNADA MOGOLLON SHAMAN
The Rainmaker is a milestone in the acclaimed bronze sculptures created by Dave McGary. It depicts a 12th century Jornada Mogollon Shaman, holding a beautiful native olla pot, pouring water, with a sacred macaw resting on his shoulder. Rainmakers' archaeologist Don Clifton headed a team, voluntarily funded by the developers that examined the area for archaeological information. They discovered a residential subterranean pit-house site. This site will be preserved as a park and used for dispensing information about the ancient culture. With approval by the Historical Society of New Mexico, artifacts from this site will be displayed at the Clubhouse once completed. Homage has also been given by naming streets for extinct and current tribes of New Mexico. By 900 A.D, the Joronada Mogollon culture ranged in the area we now know as Eastern Arizona to the Rio Grande River. The Mogollon people have disappeared into the mists of the past and have no known living groups. By the mid-1600's when the Spanish arrived to the area, the Jornada Mogollon had ceased to exist.
The Jornada Branch of the Mogollon lived in Southern New Mexico, which included the area surrounding Sierra Blanca. They supported themselves by farming as well as hunting and gathering. They also developed a widespread trade network. Their early agricultural population lived in semi subterranean pit-houses, but later evolved to residing in above ground contiguous adobe structures. The Jornada Mogollon people formed small villages in water producing areas.
Water signified life for these natives and it was literally a matter of life or death. Though the area they inhabited received limited amounts of moisture each year, the life-giving gift from the sky determined their crop size. Certain members of this group possessed the knowledge to invoke the power to bring the vital rain. These were the Shaman; they were honored and held in the highest esteem. The brilliance of the sacred macaw is portrayed resting on his shoulder. These birds, revered for their beauty and ability to speak, were considered the carriers of the Sun. They were acquired at great cost in trade from their southern neighbors. Carrying this bird was another indication of the Shaman's status.
The place upon which he stands to perform his ceremony is symbolized as an altar near the sacred petroglyphs on the rocks. These symbols are found throughout the Southwest and were used to record spiritual places and events. The Rainmaker petroglyphs are exact replicas of those found at the Three Rivers Petroglyph Site at the base of Sierra Blanca. Between 900 and 1400 A.D., the Jornada Mogollon people created more than 21,000 images on stone at this very spiritual setting.
The Rainmaker Memorial will measure 14 feet in height and will stand near the Rainmakers Clubhouse for the community's enjoyment. McGary is proud to have been chosen for this prestigious assignment and for the opportunity to introduce many people to the Jornada Mogollon culture.
Expressions in Bronze Gallery in Ruidoso: www.davemcgary.com.
