Awa Tsireh: A Pioneer of San Ildefonso Painting Born in 1898 into the heart of the San Ildefonso Pueblo, Awa Tsireh (also known as Alfonso Roybal and Cattail Bird) emerged as one of the most significant figures in Southwestern Native American art. His journey was not one of formal academic training—he left school after grade school—but rather a deeply rooted apprenticeship within his culture, honed through observation, familial tradition, and the guidance of influential mentors. This self-taught approach, combined with a keen eye for detail and a profound connection to Pueblo cosmology, sh…