A total of $300,000 is available for distribution in amounts of up to $20,000 for individuals and programs. Applications and eligibility rules are available at http://www.nativeartsandcultures.org/programs.

“The Native Arts & Cultures Foundation celebrates the role of artists as culture bearers and critical thinkers,” said Reuben Roqueñi, NACF program director. “The creative process makes a profound contribution to intellectual inquiry and to the strengthening of communities.”

The first initiative, called “Artistic Innovation: Through the Soul of an Artist,” will support the creation of new work by contemporary Native artists. These awards are designed to propel indigenous creators into unique and imaginative ways of interacting with the world, informed by tradition and culture. Projects might include work in visual arts, film, installation, dance, music, literature, drama, spoken-word or interdisciplinary projects.

The second initiative – “Mobilizing the Community Through the Arts” – will support community-based programs that involve the continuity and expression of cultural knowledge and artistic practices. With an arts-based approach, projects might address issues such as land stewardship, social justice, education or other topics.

With its third initiative – “Strengthening the Arts & Cultures Infrastructure” – NACF will award grants to pre-selected Native arts organization for program administration, infrastructure improvements, outreach, professional development and other endeavors.

Earlier this spring, the foundation announced several new additions to its boards. Actor Adam Beach (Salteaux Tribe), known for his work in films such as “Flags of Our Fathers” and television shows such as “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” joined the NACF board of advisors, alongside singer Buffy Sainte-Marie (Cree). Keller George (Oneida Nation), well-known in Indian Country for his work with the National Congress of the American Indians and the National Museum of the American Indian, joined the NACF board of directors.

NACF is supported in part by gifts from the Ford Foundation, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

About the Native Arts & Cultures Foundation

The Native Arts & Cultures Foundation is the first permanently endowed national philanthropic organization dedicated exclusively to the revitalization, appreciation and perpetuation of Native arts and cultures. NACF works to increase the capacity of Native cultural practices by investing in communities and artists with an eye toward cultural continuity, innovation, environmental stewardship and social justice. For more information, call 360.314.2421 or visit www.nativeartsandcultures.org.

This post brought to you by the author and TribalBiz.com

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“This is a rare opportunity to honor Montana’s Indian veterans, and all veterans, as well as to honor the important work of retaining native languages,” said Society Director Richard Sims.

The Smithsonian created the exhibit to tell the story of Indian Marines and soldiers who used their coded native languages as a weapon against U.S. enemies.

The Navajo code talkers during World War II have received the most recognition, but the exhibit shows that Native Americans were first enlisted to relay messages in their own languages during World War I.

Marines and soldiers from 16 tribal nations served as code talkers, including the Assiniboine, Sioux, Navajo, Hopi, Cherokee, Chippewa and Cree.

The exhibit also addresses the irony the Indians faced as they transitioned from Indian boarding schools, where they were punished for speaking their native languages, to being honored for using that language as a vital secret weapon in combat.

Montana has the opportunity to bring the exhibit to the state because the historical society is an affiliate of the Smithsonian.

Montana Historical Society Board of Trustees member George Horse Capture of Great Falls initiated the exhibit when he was a Smithsonian curator, and will serve as guest curator of the Montana exhibit.

The historical society plans to launch the exhibit in Helena in April and then take it to the state’s reservations. The society is also working with tribal veterans’ representatives and tribal councils who want to contribute in their own way in honoring and celebrating their warriors during each four-day event.

The society is seeking sponsors to help cover the $35,000 to $40,000 cost for creating and presenting the traveling exhibit.

This post brought to you by the author and TribalBiz.com

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“Giants in the Mountains: The Search for Sasquatch” does not attempt to prove or disprove the existence of Sasquatch, but instead looks at how and why the story is so ingrained in the cultural fabric of the Northwest.

The story of Sasquatch certainly goes far beyond the 1987 movie “Harry and the Henderson’s” or recent beef jerky TV commercials. It has been told for centuries among Northwest Indian tribes.

That mix of ancient mythology and modern commercialism is the focal point of a Sasquatch exhibit that opened recently at the Washington State History Museum. The exhibit is built around about 40 significant items, including casts of alleged footprints, ancient stone carving and Indian masks.

One of the key artifacts is a prehistoric stone head borrowed from the Maryhill Museum of Art. The carving was found in the Columbia Basin in the 1890s and is believed to date from 1,500 B.C. to 500 A.D., Perkins said.

“When you see them, they resemble gorillas. There have been at least four of these stone heads,” Perkins said. For more on the subject, see Origin of Sasquatch and Bigfoot and Native Things That Go Bump in the Night.

This post is brought to you courtesy of the author and TribalBiz.com.

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Having a lifetime of experience as a musician, I extend to you an upcoming series of articles on the power of music and the Native American Flute. I will describe the short version of my musical path toward healing. First let me ask: What has heart and meaning for you? What touches you most deeply? For many of us, music might have something to do with that.

Music is one of the ways in which we say: “I am alive, and my life has meaning.” Karl Paulnack

Music is in us and waiting to be expressed. Every cell vibrates, grows and evolves with sound. The rhythms of our heart, our breath and entire being is harmonized through the power of music. It is one of the purest expressions of Spirit into Form.

The musician is more of a therapist of the soul than an entertainer. Music is more than just a product or thing to be bought and sold like a used car. It is a rescue mission of mercy to bring our insides back into harmony. Music expresses our deepest feelings. It lifts us up and out of our pain and into the river of grace. It is the companion of bliss and grief.

In the darkest hours of our human history the most moving and profound music has arisen. One of the first organized events after 9/11 in New York City was the Brahms Requiem at the Lincoln Center with the N.Y. Philharmonic.

“After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” Aldous Huxley

However…many of us have some musical wounds. I hit a wall on my musical journey in 1980. I was a career musician for many years. Playing the same songs and musical style every night no longer inspired me. I felt a need for a new form of expression and I didn’t know what creative direction to take. Then came nodules on my vocal cords which put an abrupt end to my singing career.

This loss initiated a nine year path of becoming a Holistic Health Practitioner and Teacher. While studying the healing modalities of indigenous peoples I discovered the Native American Flute, drums and rattles. This was the new form of musical expression I was looking for 9 years earlier! I recovered my musical inspiration through these primal, ancient instruments.

I’ve met many people who have some musical bumps and bruises. For instance: Some of you will recall those traumatic, forced music lessons. Or maybe you played an instrument and were told you weren’t “talented”. So you gave up, never to try again. Does your inner critic beat you down, comparing yourself with the “pros”?

Well, the good news is that we are the vessel and conduit that contains the Music of Life itself ! Remember, we are the Music. So…how do we heal the split from our Musical Essence?

I have known so many people reconnect and find their inspiration through the Native American Flute. In a complex world, its simplicity, ease of playing and heartfelt tones heals us. It calls us back to our nature and to Mother Nature. Through the sacred and intimate act of breath and emotion, we express ourselves in waves of vibrant creation.

“I am a Flute that Spirit’s breath moves through…listen to this Music” Hafiz

More important than how “good” you are is to ENJOY the act of playing. Through play, we open the doorway to our own creativity and spirit. Thank you, for reading the “Native American Flute – the Wounded Musician and the River of Grace.”

On my website, you’ll find flutes and music from my studio. http://www.deruby.com

Stephen Has been a flute maker since 1989. He has devoted his life to Music, Crafts and Healing for Spiritual Expression, Service and Right Livelihood.

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No written records of Native Americans exist before the 1500s, when the European seamen discovered the American continent. The period before 1500s is considered by scholars as prehistoric. During that time and after, Native Americans had created their own states, history and art. Native American art is thought to be the link between natives and Europeans, the only way to communicate ideas between the two cultures. When the Europeans came, slight changes in Native American art resulted, due to the new way of life that native people had to take.

Native American art is our way to reach the native Americans’ views and history, to learn more about them. That’s why culture researchers explore Native American art and make it an object of many scholastic discussions. There exists a qualification of the Native American culture, branching off into five main culture districts or zones, which is done for easier interpretation of the works of art and culture. They are, namely, the East, the Plains, Southwest and Northwest coast, and the Arctic. The forms of Native American art differ considerably regarding different districts. That depends on the different weather conditions, various traditions among different groups of natives, natural environment, social order, different religious beliefs, and so on.

The difference of Native American works of art in different districts is so astounding that we may even wonder if they came from one continent. The basic reason for this is about the purpose of art in the lifestyle of Native Americans. Native American art served many purposes, and most of all it was meant to be the visual representation of different myths and religious beliefs. The mythological origin of Native American art gives some reason why the forms of art differ significantly in different parts of the continent: because of the different myths and religions that existed between tribes. Native American art is done to meet various needs; to be a traditional linkage between generations (like the carved totem poles); to serve practical necessities( Natives created beautifully painted pots, vases, utensils, woven mats, rugs, blankets, coverings, home-made clothes and jewelry in astonishing combinations of colours); to be a symbol of rituals (for example art was used in the ritual for rain, and in healing ceremonies, for which different masks and rich garments were produced.)

Native American art is so various and hard to categorize also because of the materials used for the creative activities. Many artists used materials, which they found in their natural surroundings. Feathers, porcupine quills, tree bark, wood, animal skins and hair were all combined in the artistic creation. Different artists used different technologies for the making of beautiful things. Native American art is composed of artworks, made by carving, painting, weaving, sewing, or building. And different technologies tend to slightly vary in different regions, so that artworks are not the same, even if the same materials are used for their making.

Many Native American artworks were intended both for ceremonial purposes and for home usage in the daily life of people. Garments and different bowls served many functions. Rituals and ceremonies were so various that many artworks were produced for their accomplishment. Native Americans had rituals for almost everything: and a large part of their works of art was used for different ceremonies. Totems from Pacific Northwest were a family value and represented the people from the clan, and a lot of effort was put into making those magnificent big poles.  Masks were used for communication with the spirits in healing ceremonies. To serve its purpose to the point, a work of art was expected to be beautifully done, so that artists had to make the best they could to produce majestic artworks.

Nowadays there are two branches of Native American art- artists gone into the mainstream of making contemporary art-like photographs, paintings on canvas or performances, and others who continue to work using traditional Native American art technologies.

Article by Robbie Darmona – an article writer (http://www.robbiedarmona.com) who writes on a wide variety of subjects. For more information visit www.artsbury.com.

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I’ve always appreciated the work of artists who create handcrafted Native American porcelain dolls. Knowing all the fine detail that goes into these beautiful dolls with all the time spent lovingly applying the finishing touches and little details makes the wonder of the doll even more fascinating. It takes a special talent to craft these works of art. If you can find a handcrafted Native American porcelain doll, it is definitely worth whatever the price. Owning such an original collectors item will bring joy for many years to come. Even your children will cherish such a doll and pass it down to their children. One purchase can produce generations of smiles.

To make the best of your investment, you need to look for quality not only in the porcelain but also the costuming, the estimated longevity to stand up to a variety of uses and many play dates, and lastly a beautiful piece to compliment your home.

When looking for quality, keep in mind that the quality of the porcelain greatly affects how long the doll will look good. A handcrafted Native American porcelain doll is made with the finest porcelain hands, feet and heads to ensure permanence in your home. The finer quality porcelains will not have glazes that crack with age or yellow.

If the costuming is hand stitched, make sure the stitches are close and fine. If the attire is not of the best quality, it will fall apart quickly no matter how well stitched it is. The best beads are made of glass and the best hair is one that will not tangle easily. With all these factors taken into account, you can feel certain that your handcrafted Native American porcelain doll will stand up to kiss smudges on the cheek by your child or a minor tea party spill.

With the neutral colors in the clothing, even on display the doll will be an eye catcher. The earth tones make the beadwork stand out brilliantly so be sure it is pleasing to your eye. If the doll is a gift for a young child, a lack of beadwork may make a better choice and for tactile enjoyment, genuine furs in the costume can give little fingers great joy. The hairstyle is usually a very simply style such a couple ponytails. A lot of expression in the face is a fabulous way to engage your child in a fun game of make-believe.

One with it’s little tongue peeking between the lips in a mischievous grin may just make a normally shy child giggle with delight and want to share her doll with others helping her get over her shyness.

Make the best choice when purchasing your next doll; choose a handcrafted Native American porcelain doll to join your family. Not only will you love and cherish it, so will everyone who stops to visit, young and old alike. You can be sure she will be gazed upon in admiration, given gentle hugs or share secrets with your children, and bring a bright spot to that mantle that is begging for something unique. There is nothing more lovely than bringing a bit of America’s history to life in your home. Handcrafted Native American porcelain dolls create your home around them bringing warmth to any décor yet add vibrancy and tangible beauty through the use of facial expression and authentic costuming. Not every doll can make a house a home simply by being at hand, choose one of quality and she will quickly become an integral part of the family with ease and grace.

A-Porcelain-Doll.com supplies porcelain dolls in general, and Native American porcelain dolls in particular. They specialize in handcrafted porcelain dolls by internationally acclaimed artists from a variety of cultures. You can find Indian dolls, Persian dolls, Japanese dolls, Irish dolls, Black dolls, Ethnic dolls, and much more at A-Porcelain-Doll.com.

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If you love Native American Rattles, you will definitely benefit from adding them to your drumming circles and powwows. Rattles are excellent Native American icons representing Indigenous tribes and their unique culture. They are also among the most popular musical instruments for playing in ceremonial rituals throughout various Indian tribes. Rattles, for many years and for the majority of American Indians, have always had a great part in the spiritual connection with the creator as well as for use in public gatherings.

As you read about the intriguing history of American Indians and their use of Native American rattles, you will find that they are symbolic among the Indigenous tribes and are essential to the tribal ceremony in which they are used. It is said that they symbolize the animal, plant, and mineral kingdoms. The animal kingdom is exemplified in the form of the container or decorative feather of the rattle. The mineral kingdom is represented by the rocks that create the sound or also by the paint used for the artwork depicted on the rattle. And, the plant kingdom is symbolized by the handle.

When studying the uses of Native American rattles and how they are played, you will learn that virtually every tribe and Indian culture including the Navajo culture, play rattles in their ceremonies. Among the many types of Indian rattles, together with the popular gourd rattles and turtle shell rattles, the simple rawhide rattle is the most used in Native American tribes. The images, such as the Navajo bear or Navajo eagle, used in the artwork placed on the rattles, differ with each tribe. You will find it interesting that the different tribes including the Cherokee, Navajo, Apache, Pueblo, Zuni and Hopi, can all be identified by the variations of the beautiful art on their hand crafts. One thing these tribes do have in common is that they all play rattles in the many ceremonial events and as part of music, dance, medicine and spirituality.

The Native rattles are really very appealing and are made with a number of natural materials such as turtle shell, leather, rawhide, bead work and Native American feathers. Fur, fringe, seeds, rocks, antlers, horns, bones and shells are used to create that unique Indian style. Clay beads, blue corn, manzanita seeds or small smooth stones such as those found at the opening of an ant hill, are also sometimes put in the rattles to give it the desired sound.

Native people have always used music, songs, stories and legends to express their cultural beliefs and customs to each other and to the outside world. It is in harmony with these forms of learning that rattles have come to be an important part in the ceremonies and rituals of the Indigenous people.

That is the reason there is nothing more thrilling than owning genuine Indian musical instruments and hand crafts. You can easily buy Indian rattles online and also in stores that sell rustic decor. If you are fascinated by authentic Indian musical instruments, or are searching for the right instrument to use in your drumming ceremonies, you will definitely be drawn to the unique sound of Native American rattles.

Craig Chambers is the director of Mission Del Rey and author offering free information online about how to choose Native American Rattles for Indian ceremonies and other playing purposes. For more information visit http://www.missiondelrey.com

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Native American flutes are enjoyed and played in many cultures around the world. I have always loved Native flute music for its beautiful sound quality and ability to bring a tranquil calm to the ambiance where it is played. Hearing Native flutes always bring back memories of my mother’s kitchen where she often played flute music to create a tranquil environment in her home. The soothing flute music cures the soul and creates a calming affect on the spirit of all who hear it.

If you look at the history of Indian instruments, you will realize that like the drum, the flute plays a meaningful role in the daily lives, ceremonies and rituals of many American Indian people. Native American flute music takes you to a place where descendants look to their forefathers to guide them, and use their instruments to unite them with the Great Spirit.

Flutes in one form or another have been around for centuries and have been part of many tribal cultures around the world. The reflection of flute instruments in the past shows us that they did exist in ancient Tribes. The origin and design of the Native American flute is a little more complicated to figure out due to the fact that there were no written languages among North American Tribes at that time. It wasn’t until explorers documented their travels and findings, that record of the Native American flute is found in history.

You can’t take in the true value of Native flute music until you learn that society came close to obliterating this amazing art with strict assimilation rules. The 1900′s brought with it harsh rules for Native Americans that almost succeeded to forever silence their culture and people. Along with many other Indigenous traditions, these rules stopped the development of Native flute music. It wasn’t until the middle of the century that assimilation laws started to alleviate and Native traditions were able to be practiced within the Tribe and out in the open once again. Over the years, the prestige of the Native American flute grew to the point that flute makers began generating these instruments in large numbers to sell, and not just for personal playing purposes. The materials used to make the flutes also turned from undeveloped crude instruments to more improved, with the use of power tools and the ability to obtain different kinds of woods, plastics and metals.

Now days, there are a variety of choices available when choosing a Native style flute, and it is just a matter of personal preference. There are some recommendations you should follow when buying an instrument. There are numerous types of flutes, but all have one of two different sound qualities. The sound style of the flute is based on whether it is a Plains style or a Woodlands style. A Plains style flute produces a buzzing type sound while a Woodlands style will produce a bell tone. No matter which type of flute you buy, it is a good idea to check the characteristics of each individual instrument, including the mouthpiece, size, shape and number of holes, in order to choose one that you like. Native American flutes also come in different kinds of woods ranging from exquisite, rather expensive woods, to simple pieces of pine, cane or bamboo.

Due to the popular interest in flute music, you can now buy Native American flutes online, in various music stores, and in specialty shops that sell Indian musical instruments and western style home decorating accessories. If you are looking for an easy instrument for playing or decorative purposes, or are searching for real Indian musical instruments to use in Native ceremonies and events, consider keeping the culture and instruments of Indian people alive with the peaceful tones of Native American flutes.

Craig Chambers is the director of Mission Del Rey and offers free information online about choosing Native American flutes for various playing purposes. For more information visit http://www.missiondelrey.com

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“They used to come into the park, driving,” Povah recalled. Indians would bring beadwork, leatherwork, clothing, “and ask Dad to buy it. That’s how we started our collection.”

Now 88 years old, Povah has donated more than 1,200 items from her family’s collection – from Indian crafts to a 1930s-vintage yellow Yellowstone tour bus – to the Museum of the Rockies.

“It’s really the place I wanted it to be,” Povah said recently at a museum reception. Other museums were interested, but, she said, “I felt holding it in Montana, near the source of the Indians who made so much of the collection” was “appropriate.”

“I am so excited,” said Shelley McKamey, the museum’s director and dean. “This is the most significant historic collection we’ve received since the founding of our museum” more than 50 years ago.

The Hamilton Stores company, founded by Ellie’s father, Charles, was Yellowstone’s concessionaire from 1915 – when visitors still traveled through the park in horse-drawn stages – until 2002.

The collection includes documents, Indian crafts, historic photos and several old vehicles. There’s a tow truck made from an old tour bus, and a cart that used to carry garbage to feed the park’s bears. A horse-drawn green Conoco gasoline wagon offers a reminder of the park’s first opening up to automobiles in 1916.

The public won’t be able to see most of the collection right away. It will take a few years to catalog everything and conserve things properly. Eventually it will become a traveling exhibit.

McKamey said many of her favorite pieces are buckskin or cloth Indian dresses, which are fragile. Some are decorated with porcupine quills or with metal thimbles.

Along with the collection, Povah gave the museum a gift of $250,000 over five years, which will be used to match federal funds and cover the costs of the collection’s care, storage, cataloguing and preservation, McKamey said. Lots of people want to donate things to the museum, she said, but it needs the resources to care for them.

“Ellie’s generosity made it possible,” McKamey said.

“This collection of artifacts and this funding is going to help us interpret the cultural history of Yellowstone National Park in a way it’s never been done,” said Michael Fox, the museum’s history curator.

Several Indian craft items from the collection were on display at last Thursday’s event. There was a beaded Indian vest with American flag and rose designs from the Nez Perce tribe, a Navajo wedding basket, Pueblo Indian bowls, and woven hats from the Hupa Indians of California.

Seated in a wheelchair, Povah said she’d broken her leg in a fall, but she has always been active. Last fall, she said, she took a trip to Africa with her kids and their spouses, and was only home in Santa Barbara, Calif., for a few days before packing up for a 10-day horseback trip in Mexico.

Did she ride horseback, too?

“Of course!” she said, laughing.

She was clearly enjoying the museum’s celebration of her donation.

“I think this is going to be a wonderful day,” Povah said.

This post brought to you by the author and TribalBiz.com

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The Beautiful blue and green hues of turquoise have long been prized by the Native American peoples of the southwestern part of the USA. Entire cultures were built on mining turquoise and crafting sacred and special items from the attractive stone in areas which are now part of both New Mexico and Nevada. American Indian peoples were making necklace strands and other turquoise jewelry by hand many centuries before the first European settlers arrived. Because turquoise was so highly prized, it was widely exchanged and circulated among the Native peoples of the Americas, and the each of the tribes developed their own unique names for the striking blue stone. Scientific testing has proven that some ancient beads found in central and South America were originally dug from the Cerrillos turquoise mines near Santa Fe, New Mexico.

When the Europeans brought the technology of working metals like silver with them to the new world, the American Indians who learned the silver smith trade learned eventually began to add turquoise with the silver to develop their own special style of jewelry. A Zuni man by the name of Kineshde is believed to be the first to add turquoise to the hand crafted silver items he was making in the late 1800s.

Turquoise first came into popular high fashion in the US during the early 1890s, but Persian turquoise was the focus of the demand at that time, and only a few deposits of high quality turquoise were known in the US. In the following years, a number of high quality deposits previously worked by Native Americans were “rediscovered”, and shortly after 1900 and Americans began to recognize that American turquoise from the Western US was the equal of any in the world. Interest again began to peak around 1908-1910, and a considerable amount of American turquoise was mined, especially in Nevada. The majority of the Turquoise jewelry produced prior to 1910 was made by well-known jewelry manufacturing companies like Tiffany’s, and was produced in the standard Victorian styles of those times.

None of this was what we would recognize as Indian style turquoise jewelry. There were a few Native Americans making turquoise and silver pieces in what we now see as the traditional style, but they produced very few pieces and their very simple tools increased the man hours each piece needed for completion. That era was essentially the dawn of the traditional styles for silver-turquoise jewelry. America’s fascination with turquoise and genuine Indian Jewelry really began in earnest during the 1920′s when more people from outside the southwest began to see the beauty of this artistic jewelry.

At that time, the Harvey House restaurant chain opened a number of facilities across the southwest during the great days of popular rail travel across the US. At first, Indian Jewelry was only sold as curios in the restaurants for the patrons touring the west. Earrings and thin, small bracelets stamped with arrows and bows and containing symmetrically cut small oval pieces of turquoise were the types most in demand. The pieces produced during this time are still termed as having been made in the “Fred Harvey” style. Heavy Indian Jewelry did not become popular until after 1925, when the classic squash-blossom necklaces were first brought to the tourist market. The squash-blossom craze lasted until about 1940, when they were discontinued for the most part by most Indian artisans for requiring too much work and too much turquoise.

In the 1920′s and 1930′s, the concho belt changed from a simple silver belt to a more ornate belt with one to multiple turquoise stones in all the individual sections of the belt. The tourist jewelry of that era is highly collectible today. It began to be noticed that sales of Native American jewelry had significant potential to provide a reliable income source to tribal members across Arizona and New Mexico. During those years, schools and classes were established at several reservations to train young men in the trade of making Native American style Sterling and turquoise jewelry. In the following decades, many very talented artists came out of these schools.

During the years following WWII, many Americans traveled across the country, and on their trips through the Arizona-New Mexico area, discovered that local traders had rooms full of this Native American jewelry, which the traders called pawn pieces. Most of these were jewelry pieces the Indian people made for themselves and pawned for one of two reasons: either they needed money, or it was considered a safe storage place. As a result of the popularity of these pawn pieces, a host of trading posts sprang up in the Southwest and knowledge of this unique style of jewelry became much more widespread. New jewelry was also created to meet the growing tourist demand. Those who appreciated the beautiful American turquoise began to recognize the general differences in matrix patterns and color, etc. between the different mine sources. During this time, which extended to the early 1950′s, turquoise began to be named, for sales purposes, after the mine in which it was found, such as Lone Mountain, Royston, Blue Gem, and others.

An increasing number of American Indians continued to handcraft silver jewelry in the 1950s and early 1960′s in the traditional way. Up to that time their work was generally popular only in the southwest region of the US, but the increasing amount of material available began to enable a larger audience to see and appreciate this beautiful style of jewelry art. Even so, it did not become widely popular across the entire US until the late 1960′s and early 1970′s. At that time the simple and natural beauty of turquoise jewelry became the rage of the American fashion scene. The prices of the old pawn jewelry rocketed upward, and a craze for Indian turquoise jewelry swelled and boosted demand (and prices) for turquoise to previously undreamed levels.

The increased prices and demand caused the re-opening of many mines and the import of Indian “style” jewelry made by manufacturers in Mexico, Taiwan, and the Philippines. In time, the market became glutted, the consumer was confused by overpriced synthetic, stabilized and plastic imitation materials and by 1981 the supply was high but the demand was gone. The market collapsed and most of the American turquoise mines were shut down and have remained closed since that time. Turquoise demand hit a low water mark in the early 1980s, but has been slowly and steadily increasing in popularity since that time. Most American mines have remained closed, and in recent years high demand for natural American turquoise has caused once again significant increases in prices.

If you would like to see some of our beautiful turquoise jewelry and purchase some turquoise directly from the mine owner, take a look at our turquoise jewelry: http://nevada-outback-gems.com/Finish_turq_jewel/premium_turquoise_jewelry.htm

Chris Ralph writes on small scale mining and prospecting for the ICMJ Mining Journal. He has a degree in Mining Engineering from the Mackay School of Mines in Reno, and has worked for precious metal mining companies conducting both surface and underground operations. After working in the mining industry, he has continued his interest in mining as an individual prospector. He can be reached at P.O. Box 3104 Reno, Nevada 89505. His home page on gems and jewelry can be viewed at: http://nevada-outback-gems.com

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