The Aspen Song Kids of Taos Pueblo
THE ASPEN SONG KIDS [ASK] are a Taos Pueblo family of eight children and parents Amber Martinez and Tarynce Hice. In less than a year, the family has revived their grandmother’s pueblo shop to make and sell art. They’ve produced a book with original art and prose titled “Sacred Spiral” on Nighthawk Press. And they’ve opened The Art Lab next to the Governor Bent House, transforming the space with historical connotations into a destination for Taos Pueblo youth to attend Tiwa lessons, Elder talks and a dynamic visiting lecture series.
I asked Hice a few questions about how the family enterprise began. Who are the Aspen Song Kids, what is behind the name, what inspires them and what is on the horizon — Here are the highlights.
How did Aspen Song Kids come to be?
The Aspen Song Kids united in the village of Taos Pueblo at our Grandmother Geraldines’ ancestral home to maintain our cultural traditions of heritage and language. It was shaped by the youth that live in the village. Our grandmother gave the name to us. To honour her legacy, we continue to use the name. It was also the name she signed on her paintings. And we call our paintings Aspen Song just like she did, to continue the tradition in our Grandmother Geraldine’s home and her mother’s. Before her, it was our Grandma Geraldines studio and gallery. We all lived there and were raised there. We all learned so much working with our grandparents about the timehonored ways. We plan on keeping it a family home.
Who are the Aspen Song Kids?
We are kids, but we are international artists. Tough, resilient, smart, creative, leaders from the Taos Pueblo. Our motivation is to make happy memories. Learn as much as we can about our old ways of life from the elders and our language most important.
Our creativity and our love for laughter and playing outside, that’s what connects us. The Aspen Song Kids members are Tjay, Devin, Royce, Kato, Amber Rose, Prince, Evangeline, Octavius, Tyson, Ben, Maranda, Natasha and Henry.
Please tell us about the programs and projects.
We volunteered for The Paseo Project and plan on being one of the big artist attractions for Paseo in the future. We helped with the VR Bootcamp at UNM Hive, and helped with the community bike rodeo. We formed an afterschool Tiwa Teens club where we focus on learning our language and preserving it and we opened The Aspen Songs Kids Art Lab on Bent Street next to the Governor Bent Museum. It is open to everyone, youth artists, to come be creative. And enjoy good vibes. We created our Positive Energy Sprays made from sage, mint and cedar for protection and space clearing and we teamed up with the Red Willow Farmers Market. Soon, we’ll have a natural dye garden to get natural pigments to dye shirts for a clothing line. Aspen Song Kids are signed up for Nizhoni Days, a week-long celebration of American Indian culture and education hosted by UNM Native students, Native student organizations, and supporting UNM departments. And we’ll be at Pathways and The Santa Fe Indian Market next summer.
Please talk about the book.
This was a huge accomplishment and the first time kids from the Taos Pueblo have published a book. ‘Sacred Spiral’ is a collection of original art and stories written by the Aspen Songs Kids. When we launch the book next month, we’ll have live readings and a questionand-answer reception. We’d like to thank our publisher NightHawk Press for helping us on this adventure.
What are your hopes and dreams for Aspen Song Kids?
We want our kids to know they have more than one option to be successful when they become adults. We hope they know how proud everyone is of them and how important they are and
how powerful their messages are. And they can keep spreading this message to promote leadership amongst indigenous youth. We hope to instill the message that doing drugs and drinking is not cool. Carry on the traditional ways of being a teen international artist and representing our Taos Pueblo people positively.
We dream of our book in the library of Congress and in every library and every book store and school library in the United States and across the world. Follow us on Instagram @aspensongcollection. Come visit us in our own creative office space for youth artists to sell and showcase art. Located next to the Governor Bent House and Museum on Bent Street.