Golf & Sports Gear

Item Description

Phoenix Suns Beaded Cap

You will turn heads with this amazing one-of-a-kind contemporary beaded Phoenix Suns snapback cap. Handcrafted by traditional & contemporary beadwork and Chemehuevi basketweaver, Mary Claw (Chemehuevi).

Orange and purple beads line the cap brim and the front two panels along with the cap's top button. This purple Mitchell & Ness Phoenix Suns cap is a snapback so one size fits most.

Item Special Note

About artist Mary Claw: Mary Claw is of the Chemehuevi tribe and a member of the Colorado River Indian Reservation. Mary has served our cultural river communities with modeling deep and impactful advocacy for the revitalization of our traditional cultures, building dynamic forums for cross-cultural dialogue, and influencing the practice of cultural work, alike. Her primary art is Chemehuevi Basketry, with a minor in Native American beadwork. At the age of eleven, Mary was intrigued as her grandmother, Mary Lou Brown, prepared and wove many baskets. Her grandma was known and respected as a great Chemehuevi basket weaver whose works are now collectors’ items. Under her grandma’s tutelage, Mary enhanced to become affiliated with the Alliance for California Traditional Arts as Master Basket weaver teaching apprentices the art and knowledge of basketry. Mary received a grant for a very successful impact on Kaiwasui basketry. She received two eager apprentices that learned the cross-cultural history and artistry of their “lost” tradition. The Kaiwasui are a sister-tribe of the Chemehuevi’s migratory history in southern California. Quite relevant are the foundation and weaving techniques of both baskets. The dialogue involved provided an influential experience for its tribal participants and organizations. The knowledge gained was an integral useful application tool on the rebirth of a lost cultural art.

Mary is also a member of the California Indian Basketweavers Association (CIBA). CIBA is an advocate of the preservation and revitalization of traditional basket weaving for cultural traditions to thrive now and into the future.

Mary’s beadwork was also Grandma’s teachings. The beaded items were masterful works of art embedded with the wisdom of her Grandma.

Both of Mary’s expertise are masterful and have a cultural meaning that must be contained and retained.

Mary is Treasurer/Secretary of the Artisans of the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT).

Artisans of CRIT are culturally competent members that provide technical assistance in their related field. The organization stresses the importance of creativity and the value of arts to the community, to children and adults. The basic characteristic of the organization is a sense of pride in their heritage. “It is not simply a technical representation of a craft, but an individual expression in a visual and touchable art form”. We challenged ourselves to design and implement a program led by traditional artists because we knew from experience that creating a sense of "belonging" through cultural expressions rooted in community traditions was not only possible, but necessary. Embedded in traditional arts practices are processes that lead us to community.  In this way, traditional arts are not only outlets but vehicles that can afford the students spiritual, intellectual, and emotional mobility in an otherwise immobile environment. Mary Claw artwork are authentic and in compliance with the Indian Arts and Crafts Act.