Sentinels

The tall stately yuccas dominate some areas in the panhandle of western Oklahoma. A pasture near Hooker Oklahoma revealed a beautiful display of these tall "Sentinels' of the prairie. The yucca fronds were collected by the Indigenous peoples and upon chewing the wide end of the blade, creates a fine painting instrument to paint pottery. A pottery workshop in Penrose, Colorado many years ago sent us searching for yuccas to paint the native pottery in the Anasi style. Collecting bee balm and soaking then boiling the plant created a paint to make the markings on the pottery.