Sitting above a flat rock surface, flattened by generations of flour grinders who had like the waves of the ocean forced the rock to bend to the will of repetitive motions, the big man Goyathlay placed a piece of paupono (copper). The village women had not approved of him utilizing their metate (grinding stone) but had come to accept the unusual presence of a man near a place typically only occupied by women. After all they had kept a keen eye on him to do something with the soft rocks.

Beside Goyathlay lay several hammerstones in different sizes and a couple hammers he made from bone just for this occasion which were much smaller and precise in their touch. The soft blows of the bone didn’t leave as distinct marks and could instead be used to carefully shape the stone to his will.

The women flocked like birds around him as be began flattening the orangey rock, at first hard and across the whole surface and later more carefully to produce a more uniform flatness. With a knife he carved the upper part of the piece, leaving a roughly T-shaped form below, and with a careful twist using only the tip of the knife on both sides a concave hole was made where a small rope could later pass through. The outline of the small piece was decorated with dimples and geometrical patterns moving between the dimples and later spiralling towards the centre of the plate ending in one single dimple marked with a turquoise pebble that was fastened with glue. It had taken quite the time to complete and when it was done Goyathlay was all alone. He alone produced three nearly identical jewellery objects that day that he showcased to his village, giving one to his wife, another to an elderly warrior and a third to a virtuous farmer.

“These stones can be used to create great beauty, but I wish for you all to follow me out into the field and look.” Goyathlay gestured towards the impressed crowd and they followed as if bound by the magic. They walked into a field and the big man showed a rather short and thick plate and he used it to easily slice through grass.

He held up the thick metal tool alongside the finely cut grass “A knife!”

“With these tools we can prepare animals quicker,” Goyathlay said loudly, “We can forage quicker and perhaps if we are clever, we can make other tools. For see, what is made from stone, wood or bone can surely be reshaped into the image of paupono!”

There was a development brewing in the northeast Pueblo. However, to meld a stone had yet to make a considerable impact or rather it had yet to lead to the collective realization of what it could mean or do for the Pueblo.

A copper knife to forage fruits and berries or to skin an animal seemed simple enough, it was just a thick sharp piece of paupono. But to consider changing or replacing other tools was met with a violent and reluctant thought process that was confused still about the concept, it was not within the Pueblo world view or understanding how a stone could be reshaped like the cold touch of paupono. Their rigid world view was slowly dismantled and replaced by a single thought; paupono was different and if the Pueblo used it, they too would become different.