Native New Mexican, Indigenous, Spanish and Chicanx cultures blend in a story-rich desert landscape.
Four is a sacred number to many Indigenous people. The design of the Zia symbol represents the four stages of life, seasons and directions, as well as depicting the sun, which gives us life. The Zia symbol appears on the state flag of New Mexico, but originally comes from the Keres people of Zia Pueblo. We received permission to use this iconic symbol from Peter Pino, former Governor of the Pueblo of Zia, who fought fiercely to raise awareness about the misuse of their sacred symbol.
According to Diné (Navajo) creation stories, Spider Mother wove the fabric of life on crosspoles using lightning and earth. The zigzag pattern she created represented waves of water and light, which sustain life.
It is believed that the Naja symbol at the center of a squash blossom necklace originated with the Moors in the Middle East, traveling to Southern Spain, and eventually landing in the New World on Spanish bridles, where the Diné people adopted it into jewelry. The bell shaped blossoms of the necklace represent the flowers of the squash plant.
The T.Skies Nonprofit Co-op began as a place for Indigenous artisans to make their jewelry with shared crafting tools and access to distribution through the T.Skies Jewelry shop. The purpose was to make jewelry craft possible again for the artists who had been out-priced by inauthentic foreign imports.
Now, a portion of the profit from our signature jewelry goes to the nonprofit co-op. Your purchase helps to steward Southwestern culture and provide fair work for talented locals.
- Devin, President of the Nonprofit Co-op
Diné “Navajo” Silversmith
Our Gallery: independent artists, named and credited
T.Skies' gallery features jewelry from two sources:
Every gallery piece is stamped with the maker's name or hallmark. We list each gallery piece with the artist's name and tribal affiliation (with their permission). When you buy from our gallery, you know exactly who made what you're taking home. (On collaboration pieces that bear both the artist's hallmark and the TSKIES hallmark, the listing will say so.) If you want to know more about an artist — their training, their tradition, the symbolism in a specific piece — ask. We can usually connect you.
We do this because authentic Native American art deserves proper attribution. The maker, the tradition, the tribe — those matter. We list them so they're not lost.
