Allan Houser works on a sculpture. 

From the first days of Intermountain Indian School, the Bureau of Indian Affairs brought in exemplary Native artists to teach at the school.

Allan Houser was perhaps the best-known artist to work at the school. He was from the Apache Nation in New Mexico. His surname was originally Haozous, an Apache word which describes the moment in pulling up a plant when the plant comes loose from the earth. Befitting his surname, he grew up loving to observe nature and to paint. He attended the Santa Fe Indian School, where they changed his name from Haozous to Houser. He found the teaching restrictive, but grew enough as an artist to get commissions after he graduated. In 1948, his sculpture, Comrade in Mourning, commemorating the Native servicemen who died in World War II launched his art career on the national stage. He taught at Intermountain for eleven years until he accepted a teaching position at the new Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His goal as an artist was to show that Native art could be meaningful in a contemporary world.

The Intermountain Inter-Tribal School logo was designed by John Huskett, a Navajo artist and teacher at Intermountain.

John Huskett was another longtime teacher and artist based at Intermountain. He was a Navajo from Fort Defiance, Arizona, and served in the Navy in World War II. After the war, he secured a position as a graphics illustrator at Intermountain. He taught classes and translated between Navajo students and non-Navajo teachers. Huskett designed the school’s two eagle logos (the other logo is found on page Fine Arts and Crafts). He also did artwork for other Native American institutions and for exhibits in Washington D.C. as well as art displays in Brigham City and other Utah towns. In addition to art, he was dedicated to teaching and participated in leadership and training to improve Native American education. He used his combined interests to create educational materials for groups all over the country. He wanted art at Intermountain to create common ground for students between life at the school and life on the reservation.

A detail of the mural Allan Houser painted in the Interior Department Building, Washington D.C., in 1939.

Native artist Urshel Taylor also joined the Intermountain art staff. He was a member of the Pima community and grew up on a ranch on the Ute reservation. He served in the U.S. Marines before coming to teach at Intermountain. In addition to teaching, he oversaw cultural affairs and helped organize powwows, competing as a dancer in these events. He also began carving statues of dancers. His art won numerous awards. Though his work was influenced by contemporary art, he wanted everything he created to be “Indian” and reflect his pride as a Native American, a pride he also passed on to his students.

These and other art teachers had a tremendous impact on the students at Intermountain. Though the students had not always been taught to be proud of their heritage, the example of these artists showed that they could embrace both their past and their future as Native Americans. Under the guidance of Houser, Huskett, and Taylor, the walls of Intermountain came to be decorated with murals that reflected Native American themes and traditions.