Tchin — Narragansett / Blackfeet Metalsmith & Overlay Artist
Tchin. Narragansett and Blackfeet. Metalsmith, flutemaker, and storyteller — a maker who works silver in layers.
Tchin is not only a metalsmith — he is a flutemaker and a storyteller too, and the same instinct runs through all of it: building something in layers until it reads as one thing. In silver, that instinct shows up as overlay — two sheets of silver, one pierced and soldered over another, so the design sits in relief and shadow.
The Marks
We don't have a documented hallmark for Tchin on record, so we won't invent one. His work is identified by its overlay and by provenance. (A marked piece with first-hand detail is exactly what this directory is built to add.)
The Smith
He is Narragansett and Blackfeet, born in Norfolk, Virginia. He trained formally — a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and study at the Institute of American Indian Arts — an academic foundation not every traditional maker shares, and it shows in the precision of his overlay. Alongside the metalwork he is a working flutemaker and folklorist; the craft is one part of a broader life in Native art and story.
The Work
Tchin's signature is silver overlay. His Teepee Pin is the clearest example — a two-layer piece where the top sheet is pierced and soldered to replicate a laid-flat teepee cover, the cut design opening onto the darkened layer beneath. It's overlay used representationally: the technique doesn't just decorate the silver, it draws the picture. The result is graphic and clean, the pierced line doing the work.
The Standing
His work has been shown by institutions including the American Museum of Natural History, the Peabody Museum, and the Museum of Man — a real exhibition record. (We've seen wider claims circulated online about his career; we're listing only what we could source directly, and leaving the rest until we can confirm it — that's the standard this directory holds.)
In Motion
Meet Tchin in his own words, in our footage:
Know more about Tchin? Contact T.Skies.
- T.Skies blog interview — "What Is Wampum? Meet Tchin, Narragansett and Blackfoot Jewelry Artist" + T.Skies YouTube. Our own first-hand source.
- Amerinda NAAR — Tchin, jeweler + PBS Circle of Stories — Tchin (2 sources; museum exhibition record).
- Mateo’s notes, July 2026.
From the Library: Baxter, Encyclopedia of Native American Jewelry (2000)
2000 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2000, not today.
According to Baxter (2000, p. 173), who listed Tchin as Blackfoot/Narragansett, born 1946, he worked in sterling silver and 24-karat gold. [1]
Baxter (2000) traced his pins to an older source:
“His pins, in particular, are inspired by antique trade silver and Northeastern Woodlands design.”
— Baxter (2000), p. 173 [1]
Baxter (2000, p. 173) recorded that he had exhibited at Red Earth in Oklahoma, with an award in 1993, at the Santa Fe Indian Market, with SWAIA awards from 1991 through 1994, and at the United Tribes Indian Art Expo in Bismarck, North Dakota, in 1991. [1]
From the Library: Tryk, Santa Fe Indian Market (1993)
1993 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 1993, not today.
In her 1993 book on Santa Fe Indian Market, Tryk (1993, p. 219) pictured a large bolo tie by Tchin, Narragansett-Blackfeet, as an example of carrying traditional styles to modern sophistication. [2]
From the Library: Schaaf, American Indian Jewelry I (2003)
2003 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 2003, not today.
Schaaf (2003, p. 304) recorded Tchin as Blackfoot/Narragansett, born in Norfolk, Virginia, active from the 1980s in contemporary jewelry, flute making, performance and clothing design, with degrees from the Rhode Island School of Design and an AA from the Institute of American Indian Arts, a member of the New Jersey Commission on Native American Affairs, and Indian Market prizes from 1983. [3]
Schaaf (2003), quoting his 2002 newsletter, wrote:
“Each piece of jewelry is created to be a unique object of honor.”
— Schaaf (2003), p. 304 [3]
From the Library: Dubin, North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment (1999)
1999 primary source. Anything described as current here describes 1999, not today.
Where beliefs appear, these are outside observers' records; the nations themselves are the authority on their own beliefs.
Dubin (1999, p. 571) pictured a 1995 sterling silver suite by Tchin, a bracelet, earrings, ring and parfleche neck piece, in which he used overlay and handmade stamped and cut-out designs to depict, in petroglyph style, a family of animals from the youngest to the oldest; faceted stones set on the bodies stood for the animals' inner organs, or life lines. [4]
Dubin (1999, p. 571) also pictured his 1994 sterling Jewelry on a Stand: a turtle pin, pendant and necklace that, when not worn, display together as a medicine wheel stamped with figures of Northeastern cosmology and traditional beliefs. [4]
Sources
- Baxter, Paula A., with Allison Bird-Romero. Encyclopedia of Native American Jewelry: A Guide to History, People, and Terms. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 2000. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 2000.
- Tryk, Sheila. Santa Fe Indian Market: Showcase of Native American Art. Photography by Mark Nohl; introduction by Allan Houser. Santa Fe, NM: Tierra Publications, in cooperation with SWAIA (Southwestern Association on Indian Affairs), 1993. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 1993.
- 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. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 2003.
- Dubin, Lois Sherr. North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment: From Prehistory to the Present. Original photography by Togashi, Paul Jones, and others. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1999. Cited by printed page. Statements describe conditions as of 1999.
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.