The Glittering World oF the Yazzie Family
Ring by Raymond C. Yazzie, 2012. Coral, Lone Mountain and Orvil Jack turquoise, opal, sugilite, 14-karat gold. Height, 1.75" Collection of Janice Moody.
BY KATHLEEN ASH-MILBY WITH LOIS SHERR DUBIN AND THERESA BARBARO
“Our jewelry has sacred meaning for us traditionally. It is a shield of protection. It is a respectful way to entice prosperity. There are many layers of meaning in regard to our beliefs surrounding jewelry. Therefore, to be a jeweler, and to be among the best jewelers like the Yazzies, is an important honor because our jewelry creates positive power, which to the wearer is a blessing."
– Manuelito Wheeler (Navajo), director, Navajo Nation Museum
of her. She would make silver rings, fashion- ing the bezels to hold the stones, and adding twists of wire or other pieces of silver to em- bellish the work. With 12 children to feed while living in a
O 68 AMERICAN INDIAN SUMMER/FALL 2014
hogan 20 miles south of Gallup, N.M., Elsie Yazzie’s time was consumed with this work; the income from the silverwork was critical. She and her husband, Chee, worked together to create concho belts, spoons and other items that he would take into town to sell to one of the local trading posts, supplementing the income he made working for the railroad. Ac- cording to Lee, Elsie always seemed busy with this work but somehow also managed to give her children that special loving attention they each needed.
ne of Lee Yazzie’s earliest memories is watching his mother sitting in their home with an array of turquoise stones spread out in front
The parents often chased their offspring
away from their projects. “It was off limits to the children because they didn’t want us to mess anything up or things to get lost,” says Lee. Instead, the youngsters improvised their own workshop, cutting up tin cans and break- ing glass
for their materials. “I scrounged
around for different colors of glass,” Lee remembers. “There was a purple lapis Vicks bottle that I loved.” Their play also reflected the barter system of the jewelry trade, in which non-Indian businessmen provided the mate- rials and marketed the finished products. One of the children would always be the trader. As Lee grew older, he became more and
more interested in what his mother was spending so much time doing. Lee probably never imagined, however, that this curiosity would lead to a renowned career in which his own jewelry would be sought after by collec- tors from as far away as Japan.
This article and images are drawn from the book Glittering World: Navajo Jewelry of the Yazzie Family, Lois Sherr Dubin, author and general editor, co-published by the National Museum of the American Indian–Smithsonian and Smithsonian Books. The richly illustrated catalogue accompanies the exhibit of the same name, opening Nov. 13, 2014 and running through Jan. 10, 2016, at the National Museum of the American Indian George Gustav Heye Center in New York.
PHOTO: MICHAEL S. WADDELL
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