I was born and raised in the heart of the Navajo Nation, Gallup, New Mexico. I helped my family by working in the wholesale side as a very young girl with my parents. My paternal great-great grandfather owned a Trading Post in Chile in the 1920 -1940 era. My grandfather worked with his father there until he married my grandmother. Because this was such a natural thing for my dad, and the product was so readily available, my parents launched their wholesale business. We started in 1970, when I was 10 years old, and haven’t looked back. In 1977, we moved to Tucson, Arizona and eventually moved into 30 retail locations across the Southwest. My parents are winding down their retail business now and are preparing for retirement. I’m still loving this business and very much involved in my own separate business. My parents have an extensive collection of old, Vintage, Native American jewelry that I plan to add to my current inventory in the coming months. I currently own a retail location in the Foothills Mall here in Tucson, Arizona called Mesa Verde Trading Company. I have been at this location over 10 years; the longest running independent retailer in the mall’s history. Over the years, I have been bombarded with requests to start an online source for my out of state customers. Because of this, I have decided to take my business in a new direction online within the eBay community. I have only been with eBay for a short period of time but I plan to offer a diverse selection of not only Native American jewelry but also other popular lines that have sold exceptionally well in my Tucson retail location. I expect this to be an exciting, fun endeavor and look forward to working personally with each and every customer!

I went to school with Navajo Indians and have come to the realization that they are inherently gifted and talented artists. None of them have been formally schooled in the art of Silversmithing. Native American Zuni, Hopi, and Navajo artists are self-taught or have developed a skill brought about by family tradition and culture. Their Silversmithing abilities are internationally recognized as being among the finest in the world! They are supremely adventurous in their design work, and are forever evolving. Because I was raised among the Navajos, I understand why many of them do not sign their work. There is also much researched documentation as to why this occurs. In Native American culture, it is considered to be boastful to self-promote. As a group, they are people of humility and it took years to get them to hallmark their rugs, jewelry, and pottery in the early 1900’s. Trading Post owners refused to accept anything that wasn’t signed and this is how it all began. Even if the quality of the work was substandard, the old Traders would only accept it if it was signed. Today, many silversmiths do not sign their work even if it was extremely time-consuming and meticulous to create. This is why many distributors such as myself, offer a Certificate of Authenticity upon request. We must stand behind our products in order to comply with eBay’s stringent rules regarding Native American Artwork; not to mention our own code of ethics. Just keep one important thing in mind when investing in Native American art, not all of it is signed and many inferior pieces are signed. This cannot be stressed enough… Buy QUALITY first and foremost, before you stand firm on the lack of a signature. If I purchased only signed jewelry, I’d pass up many exquisite pieces. Buy from a reputable Trader who has been in this industry at least 10 years and is willing to offer a COA on any product promoted as being Native American made. I am well aware of unscrupulous sellers who offer signed pieces – that are not even signed by the true artist! I am also aware that there are Sellers who refuse to offer a COA. This should be a red flag to any buyer because although it is “just a piece of paper”, it puts the Seller’s reputation on the line – in writing!