Etta Endito — Navajo Silversmith
Etta Endito is a Navajo silversmith and stone specialist who designs on paper at home and finishes the work with her family. Gregory Schaaf's American Indian Jewelry I lists her as Navajo, active from about 1980 in traditional and contemporary heavy stampwork and set stone silver, and records that "She works out designs at home, drawing on paper. Her husband and children help complete the final pieces" (Schaaf 2003, p. 148). Her husband, Randy Endito, did the heavy stampwork (Schaaf 2003, p. 148).
Bille Hougart's Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks lists her as active since the 1980s in traditional stamp work, and as a silversmith, stone specialist and designer (Hougart 2022, p. 113). Mike Ryan II and Philip Chambless's Turquoise in America, Part Two pictures a two-stone turquoise bracelet by Randy and Etta Endito in its Pilot Mountain section (Ryan and Chambless 2020, p. 318). As of 2003, Schaaf recorded her studies at the Technical & Vocational Institute in Albuquerque and her showing at the 1998 Indian Market in Santa Fe (Schaaf 2003, p. 148).
Her hallmark
Hougart gives her mark as E E, in block letters or script (Hougart 2022, p. 113); Schaaf records her stamp as EE (Schaaf 2003, p. 148).
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References
- Schaaf, Gregory, with Angie Yan Schaaf. American Indian Jewelry I: 1,200 Artist Biographies, ca. 1800-present. American Indian Art Series, Vol. 5. Santa Fe: CIAC Press, 2003.
- Hougart, Bille. Native American and Southwestern Silver Hallmarks: Silversmiths, Designers, Guilds and Traders. 5th edition. Washington, DC: BilleHougartBooks, 2022.
- Ryan, Mike, II, and Philip Chambless. Turquoise in America, Part Two: 1910–1990. Callais Press, 2020.
This profile is maintained in support of Native American silversmiths and compiled from published references. See something inaccurate, or want to add to it? Contact us.