Sandia Casino American Indian playing cards

In 1991, American Creative Endeavors, Inc, from McKenzie, North Dakota, published several decks of playing cards celebrating Native American cultures from around the U.S. It was the brainchild of Sandy Erickson.

Pueblo culture from the American Southwest is the theme of this deck, which was used by Sandia Resort & Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (The U.S. has hundreds of casinos run by Native American tribes which are exempt from anti-gambling laws; some of them use cards with Native American courts). Earthy browns and yellows, deep blues and calm turquoises – colors dominant in Pueblo culture – are seen across the court cards. I was impressed by the way the chiefs (kings) and warriors (jacks) are portrayed not only arrayed for war and the hunt but also participating in activities such as hoop dancing (see Jack of Hearts).

An eagle – a sacred bird for many Native American tribes – watches over the Ace of Spades while the coyote, a trickster deity, naturally occupies the Jokers. The explanatory text , which is spread out across five cards, shows the degree of care, planning, and sensitivity that went into making this deck.