You don’t see turquoise-encrusted sterling silver spurs every day. So when we discovered a picture of a pair by Lorraine Bahe Livingston, the photo lit up our email inboxes as it passed among C&I’s editors. Naturally, we wanted to know if there was more where these stunners came from and to meet the woman behind the work.

We found out that Livingston has been making jewelry for 49 of her 61 years. A full-blooded Navajo from Kinyaa’áanii (the Towering House clan); born for Tábhá (Water’s Edge clan), she lives in the small community of Superman Canyon on the Navajo Indian Reservation just outside of Gallup, New Mexico.

“I’ve lived all my life around here,” Livingston says. “I cherish the culture here, being descended from the original inhabitants of the land. I enjoy living the Navajo way, using what my ancestors have taught me with their hands, and their views of life.”

When Livingston pauses to reflect on what it means to be Navajo, her younger daughter, Sherilyn, chimes in. “One of the things that my mom is really proud of is the fact that being Navajo made her pretty resilient, well-rounded, thick-skinned. Being Navajo, especially where she grew up, you had to learn how to chop wood, keep a fire going, take care of livestock. She’s what you would call traditional Navajo — not very urban, but modern.”

Livingston’s jewelry is an authentic representation of her Navajo identity. Babysitting her grandkids or idling in her truck, she’s always doodling ideas. Any scrap of paper will do to capture a quick design of flowers, roadrunners, anything inspiring in her surroundings. Later it will show up in heavy-gauge silver and hand-selected stones. Eventually, it will show up on a family member, friend, or buyer.

As her artistic process moves from mind and heart to hand and materials, Livingston believes the finished piece has the power to impart identity. “If you have a piece of jewelry on you,” she says, “it makes you who you are. You present yourself as a person of strength and integrity.”

We caught up with the artist at her home on the reservation to talk about her life and her work.

Cowboys & Indians: You’re part of a tradition of Native American
silversmiths. ...
Lorraine Bahe Livingston: I enjoy being part of that long tradition and the silversmithing community. There are a lot of silversmiths around here. It’s an art that is not found farther off of the reservation. In the olden days the only way for Navajo to make a living was through silversmithing. It was passed down because getting an education was not always in reach. To get an education meant becoming urbanized and being forced into boarding schools. Some people forgot their traditions and moved on. I was lucky enough to not have gone through that. I learned silversmithing from my mom. The tradition goes on. My family loves to watch me work and shows great interest in silversmithing. I hope they carry on in my art someday. My granddaughter loves to string turquoise beads in my studio.

C&I: What’s your family background?
Livingston: I’m originally from Rock Springs, New Mexico. I was born in Fort Defiance Indian Hospital in Arizona, also on the reservation. My late parents were the first in my large family to settle in Rock Springs. I grew up with 11 siblings total, six brothers and five sisters. I am the fifth oldest. We were raised as cattle and sheep ranchers. We often traveled to and from a neighboring town called Farmington [New Mexico], where we also tended to our own crops, such as corn, hay, pumpkins, potatoes, etc. My late mother was the silversmith of the family. My late dad was the all-around rancher as well as a well-known traditional healer-medicine man. I was fortunate enough to have spent time with my mom as she worked on her jewelry.

When it comes to inspiration from ancestors, I would say that it probably could and does come through in a design I may have. But it’s definitely not something I am comfortable with exactly drawing from, only because, traditionally speaking, ancestors are better respected being left to rest as they are.

C&I: What was your childhood like?
Livingston: I grew up traveling to and from my late dad’s farming property in Farmington, New Mexico. There, I learned how to operate a farm tractor and how to load and haul stock trailers with cattle, sheep, and crops. My late dad raised me to be tough and resilient. He often gave me the task to maneuver a 20-foot fifth wheel between small spaces. I spent my childhood helping my parents in their everyday lives, which included ranch work, farming, and jewelry-making. I helped my dad plan out his itineraries for his healing appointments, which required him to travel to places such as Oklahoma, Montana, Texas, and even Canada. I traveled with him once in a while. I often studied my mom as she worked on her jewelry pieces in my free time at home. I also spent time with my paternal grandma. She was my buddy and confidante and we would travel together to Cortez, Colorado, for livestock auctions.

C&I: How and when did you learn to make jewelry?
Livingston: My mother always used silver in her pieces along with authentic stones. One day, when I was 12, my mom was working on a squash blossom necklace. She left with my dad on one of his trips and challenged me to finish off her work, knowing that I’d been studying her and offering my help as she worked. I sat down and began working. I remember soldering pieces together just as she did. The whole experience working on my own was exciting. When I completed the rest of her work, I felt a sense of pride and joy. When she came home that evening, she was surprised by my work. She was so proud, in fact, that she took it with us to the Grand Canyon curio shop in Arizona, where she often sold her pieces. The curio owner loved it and purchased it.

C&I: So your main teacher was your mom?
Livingston: Yes, first and foremost, my late mom. Without her guidance I would not have the artistic knowledge I have now. She was the reason and the one whom I learned from. Second, myself. I took the initiative to learn more techniques, styles, and designs on my own. I wanted to excel in my own work and kept challenging my own skills. I grew from that. I took my time learning how to buff, how to solder, how to cut my own stones, how to inlay, how to make drops, how to make rings, cuffs, necklaces, squash blossoms, and so much more. I often filled notebooks with blueprints from my imagination and challenged myself to create them, which is funny because I end up not being able to duplicate a piece I’ve made before and even designed.

C&I: What is your process?
Livingston: My particular technique is to create a blueprint on paper first. I sketch it out and then go to work. I take my time finding the stones that speak to me, the stones that I want to showcase. From there I move on to the supplies — “ingredients” that I’ll need to bring my idea or the buyer’s idea to life. I always work with authentic materials and sterling silver. I put my heart into the jewelry I make, so I always feel it’s worth so much more using the real stuff. I make jewelry because it’s my passion. So my technique is using my heart.

C&I: Describe where you live and where you do your work.
Livingston: When I got married I moved away from Rock Springs to Superman Canyon [New Mexico]. Where I live right now is right next to Gallup town. They call Gallup the Indian Capital of the World. There are so many trading posts now — it seems like one on every corner. My home is on the reservation, nestled in the deep hills of Superman Canyon. I do all of my work in my studio built by my son-in-law. I love windows, so my view is always full of the beauty of nature. I see the sunsets, the sunrises, the falling leaves, the smoke rising from far-off chimneys, birds flying by, planes passing above, my grandson’s roosters, hens, geese, peacocks, and doggies making their way around my yard. I can see horses grazing, our fan-tailed pigeons coming and going, even the occasional deer hiding in the brush.

C&I: What is a typical day like for you?
Livingston: I start my day early. I’ve always been an early bird. I drop my grandson off at school. Once I return home, I begin work on the different hobbies I have, such as making traditional skirts for my granddaughter, making quilts, pillows, beadwork, stringing necklaces, inlay work. And then it’s on to my silversmithing.

C&I: What inspires you and your artwork?
Livingston: I’m inspired by my family — my daughters, both of my grandsons, my granddaughter, and my son-in-law. Their likes and interests are often where I find my ideas for pieces to make. My oldest daughter, for example, loves nature designs such as sunflowers, dragonflies, butterflies, and turtles. So I’ve made her many pieces with those designs, and she has many turtle rings to show for it. My youngest daughter doesn’t really have a preference except that whatever I make for her or having to do with her will be in pink colors [or] stones. She gives me ideas for what other people might like, though, like clusters in rings or even what might be trendy, such as Apple Watch-compatible watch tips. My son-in-law, on the other hand, loves chunky jewelry pieces, showstopping statement designs with big stones in turquoise or black onyx. He has horses, so any equestrian-themed piece is something I try to design. Nature is always an inspiration also; trees, leaves, insects, and wildlife can become a highly welcomed challenge for me to re-create.

A belief in the Divine does come through as an inspiration for a few of my pieces, such as the cross. I make them in different designs and styles to share with others who may wish to share his love. My son-in-law cherishes the crosses I have made for him.

When it comes to inspiration from ancestors, I would say that it probably could and does come through in a design I may have. But it’s definitely not something I am comfortable with exactly drawing from, only because, traditionally speaking, ancestors are better respected being left to rest as they are.

I have always felt that my work is mine; my ideas come from me. The pieces I make are from who I am, so exchanging with other artisans is not something I do. I believe that way of thinking or that level of respect for another artist’s work is what creates much more authentic, unique pieces. There’s more to choose from when a piece of jewelry comes from someone’s own imagination and heart.

C&I: What’s the hardest piece you’ve ever made?
Livingston: The hardest piece I remember making was a concho belt. It was my first attempt at making one, so it was definitely a memorable one. I had to stamp the pieces out, cut the silver, and make sure every concho was the same size and as identical as possible to the rest. The conchos were made in a heavy-gauge of silver, so stamping them out was the hardest part.

C&I: What gave you the idea for those amazing turquoise-studded spurs, and what was involved in making them?
Livingston: I had a pair of spurs hanging in my studio for the longest time. I had plans to do something with them, maybe bead them or make something creative out of them. One day, while stuck in an artist’s silversmithing block, I began laying stones on the spurs. The sample looked beautiful, so I challenged myself to solder them onto the set. It was so time-consuming and took up a lot of material in experimenting. It was more challenging than I had anticipated, but I thought if I can make a concho belt, then I should be able to bring this together as well. It took me about a week but I finally succeeded in the finished product. It was messy and unclean workmanship, but I was so happy I made it work. I continued to perfect my work with it and soon it became what it is today. I just recently tried my hand at shapes on the spurs rather than just simple turquoise stones. I got that inspiration from traveling to Wyoming with my oldest daughter and grandson over the summer. On that trip, we saw buffalo, bears, and beautiful eagles. So I figured that should someone come along with love for the beauty of Wyoming, they might show that love with my spurs.

C&I: What makes you happy?
Livingston: My family for sure. I am very involved with my kids. I enjoy watching all of them grow. I love being home and working on all of my hobbies. Making jewelry and seeing the pieces go to good homes is always so special to me. I enjoy traveling with my daughters whenever they go out. We often spend our time making dinner together and sharing our day’s details. I love seeing my grandkids, watching them excel in school and exceed their goals, attending their school functions. I’m looking forward to traveling back to Wyoming in the near future and maybe even to Alaska with my oldest someday. I also love being a helping hand to my son-in-law with his livestock and sharing all of my ranching experience with him.

C&I: What final thing would you really like people to know about you and the things you make?
Livingston: I enjoy what I do. It helps me make a living doing what I love the most. Every piece I make comes from the heart. I hope the pieces I make for people bring them joy. I just love to see the buyers happy with my work. I get to leave a piece of me with every piece I make.

To inquire about Lorraine Bahe Livingston’s work, email her at [email protected] and visit her Facebook page and Instagram page.

From the April 2019 issue.