Velino Shije Herrera
- Also known as
- Ma Pe Wi
- Oriole
- Red Bird
- Velino Herrera
- Velino Shije
- Born
- Zia Pueblo, New Mexico, United States
- Died
- Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States
- Biography
Another Pueblo artist described Herrera (Zia Pueblo), also known by this Indian name of Ma Pe Wi, as the "singing artist" because as he drew, Herrera would sing songs appropriate for the ceremony he was depicting. Herrera gave permission to the state of New Mexico to adapt the design of the Zia sun symbol for use as the state logo. The red design on a yellow field can be seen on the state flag, seal, and license plates. The artist received some criticism from other members of the Zia community for betraying his people by giving the traditional Pueblo design to non-Indians.
With Awa Tsireh, Herrera painted under the sponsorship of the School of American Research and in the late 1930s, Herrera taught painting at the Albuquerque Indian School. In 1939 he was commissioned to create a series of murals for the Department of the Interior building in Washington, D.C. He spent much of his life as a rancher and cowboy.Andrew Connors Pueblo Indian Watercolors: Learning by Looking, A Study Guide (Washington, D.C.: National Museum of American Art, 1993).