Two Feathers - Native American Jewellery and Art

The Artisans

Ramona Bird

Ramona Bird is from the Santo Domingo Pueblo, where she lives with her three young children ages sixteen, ten and two. Ramona’s Mother Josephine Coriz started teaching her to drill and cut stone when she was a little girl, they still work side by side although working on their own Jewelery. Ramona Bird is a full time Jewelery maker and has never had another type of job.

Kenneth Aguilar & Angie Crespin

Kenneth and Angie are from the Santo Domingo Pueblo in North Central New Mexico. They have been making Native American Jewelry in the Pueblo style for over twenty-five years. Kenneth originally learned how to make jewelry from his parents. His father in his day, traveled through different states selling his jewelry. Today, Kenneth sees the value in what he did and carries out his profession in like fashion.
Kenneth attended the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Kenneth and Angie work with a number of different stones and materials, such as Gaspeite, Lapis, Coral, Sugulite, Opal, Turquoise and Spiny Oyster Shell, many of these are found in New Mexico.
They also do wonderful inlay work on shells such as the Spiny Oyster combined with colorful stones and silver.

Bennie Ration

Bennie was born in March of 1955, on the Canoncito Navajo Reservation in New Mexico to Francis and John Ration. His father, who had been a silversmith since childhood, taught Bennie the art of silversmithing at the young age of eleven. His father told him that no mater what else he did with his life he would always have silversmithing to fall back on. Throughout his childhood Bennie was a talented artist. After he graduated from high school he enrolled in a one-year program at U.S. Silkscreen and Graphics School in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Upon completion of the course he worked for three years as a silkscreen and graphic designer. In 1978 he did “fall back” on the art of silversmithing. With a look and style that he had developed as a graphic designer, he began making three-dimensional figures in silver. His many wearable art designs include Kachina figures, Southwestern animals, feathers and Navajo inspired geometric patterns. When asked how he comes up with his designs he says, “I remember what I see and make pieces in my mind”

Christopher T Neito

Christopher served in the Army and is a Gulf War Veteran. He was taught by his father John Neito, to do traditional Santo Domingo inlay, he now makes one of a kind pieces of his own design.

Elouise Lee

Elouise Lee is Navajo and from Gallup, New Mexico. She learned to carve fetishes 15 years ago from her brother Franklin Peterson. Elouise has an eight year old daughter, named Colleen.

Joe Mace

Tribe: Navajo
Biography: Joe Mace learned to silversmith by watching his older brother Ted Mace. He says he does not like copying anyone else, so he gets design ideas from the land features where he lives in rural northwestern New Mexico. Mr. Mace began silversmithing when he was 23 years old and has been creating jewelry for over 25 years.

He attended Ojo Encino Elementary School, middle school in Crownpoint, and high school in Fort Wingate. He really doesn't like to socialize outside of the home, but enjoys the hubbub of his large family at home, which includes six daughters, two sons, and nine grandchildren. He prefers living and working in the country, occasionally training horses as a hobby.

Julian & Kelly Coriz

Tribe: Santo Domingo
Biography: Julian and Kelly Coriz have been together for about 18 years, living in Santo Domingo Pueblo. Their work is unique and every piece is a joint family work. Julian analyzes the stones, he picks, slices and arranges pieces until an initial idea of the design is reached. Then, Kelly and the girls start the work. Sand, Danielle and Desiree string and polish.
Nayda, the youngest sister, is starting to help and learning how to string. Kelly obtained a degree in early child develop ment last year at the Southwestern Indian Polytech Institute. She plans to work soon. Julian Coriz started at the early age of ten, when his uncle, the famous artist Martin Lovato, taught him the secrets of this wonderful craft.

Marvin & Lillie Lovatoz

Tribe: Santo Domingo

Biography: Marvin and Lillie Lovato, a husband and wife team, carve intricate heishi beads out of turquoise and shell.