The Holbrook news., 1912-04-05

crafts of the American Indian, the work of the Navajo silver " smith and other artisans is
 showing no deterioration. In fact those who are in position to judge state that some of the modern examples of native silversmithing on the Navajo reservation are superior in every way to the best examples of ear Her work of the reclaimed crafts men of the forge.
 At the fourth annual fair of Navajo Indians, which was held recently. there was a dazzling display of this native silverware, showing the native artists at their best Probably $6,000 worth of Navajo jewelry was on ex- hibition, most of it being made up in purely native designs. The prize col lection was the work of Chis-chil1e (Curly Hair), silversmith who lives near the trading post of Two Gray Hills, fifty miles south of Shiprock, N. M Chis-chil-le is a middle-aged Indian, who has been a silversmith since his youth. In fact his Is a fam fly of silversmiths, the trade being handed down from father to son, much as trades are handed down in some European communities.
 Ohis-chille, like other Navajo sil- versmiths, uses only the crudest i'm plements in making his silVerware. His forge is a square of stones and adobe, the center having . round de- pression for fireplace. The smoke is carried of and draft created by two wooden tubes, covered with adobe to keep from burning, walled to the rear of the forge. His bellows is made of sheepskin, and his anvil is a hard stone or a piece of iron. Any silver smith who can get a piece of railroad iron is looked upon with envy by his fellow-craftsmen who must use forges of cruder material The crucibles for melting silver are of hard clay, and are generally about the size of tum- blers, with round bottoms, and with curved rims provided with spouts for pouring of the molten metal
 The molds which are used by the native silversmiths are generally cut out of hard sandstone, and are greased with mutton tallow Charcoal is used for fuel, the Indians being very clever at making 1t from juniper logs. Gen orally the smiths blowpipe is a piece of hollow brass tubing. For polishing he uses sandstone and ashes, and for chasing and engraving unique designs on the silverware he uses nothing more than pocketknives. awls and small files.
 With such implements the Navajo silversmith has been working for the last sixty years, there being no record of silversmithing in the tribe previous to that date. The Indians do not care for more elaborate implements but cling to the tools with which they have been familiar for years The effects they secure with these crude imple- ments are nothing short of amazing, the chasing on some of the Navajo sil- verware being equal to the better grade of work turned out of high grade jewelry establishments
 There is no reason to believe that the Navajos learned silversmithing from the early Spaniards, as many people believe. The Spanish explorers were inveterate keepers of diaries and other records Nothing escaped their observation, and if they had found silversmiths among the Navajo tribe at that time even more warlike than the Apache-there is every reason to believe that some record would have been made of the fact It is likely that the craft was learned from the Mexicans at a later era, and it has continued to grow in importance until 1t rivals the Misunderstanding industry for which the tribe has become world famous.
 While the blanket weaving Is strict ly a woman's occupation among the Navajo people, silversmithing Is kept as strictly among the men. A woman sfIversmith has never been heard of among the Navajos, nor is there any record of a male rug weaver. though among the Hopis and other southwest ern tribes, the men do most of the weaving.
 The Navajo silversmiths do not use silver bullion for their work. They prefer silver coins, for the reason that the minted silver has the right pro portion of alloy to make enduring or naments. Mexican dollars, which com mand only their bullion value, are generally used. these are melted and run into the various molds, and, after a laborious process of polishing and chasing. come out as finished or naments.
 The art of the Navajo silversmith is nowhere shown to better advantage ehan in the manufacture of the diver