Carpio Bernal (Water Crow)

Teacher, Storyteller and Musician. Carpio Bernal is an accomplished multimedia artist from the Taos Pueblo. His skills include: American Indian weaponry, basketry, sculpture, masks, storytelling, jewelry making, furniture, traditional pottery, as well drum and flute making. His work is on display at his studio gallery, “House of Water Crow”, at Taos Pueblo in Taos, New Mexico.

In addition to traditional American Indian arts and crafts, Carpio has an extensive background in theater and film. He worked consistently throughout the 1970’s and 80’s, traveling with a number of theater troupes, acting in films, and including his experience in dance and American Indian culture. From 1972 to 1975, he was part of the American Indian Theater Ensemble, which was based at the La MaMa Experimental Theater in New York City and toured across the United States and Europe. Carpio has also been a part of several repertory theater companies including the Peter Brook Repertory Company that did an in-residence workshop at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Southern Ute Theater Troupe that performed “Wee Sief” (The Red Feather), a play dealing with the social and culture issue of assimilating cultures, and Twana Dance Group. He acted in the films Human Highway (1978), directed by Neil Young, and Dead or Alive (1988), and choreographed the native dance scenes in Backtrack (1988), directed by Dennis Hopper.