By Maribeth Keane and Bonnie Monte — Katsinas are representations of spirit beings, so they should convey a certain amount of spirituality. The old ones generally do that, and some contemporary ones do as well. I look for some sort of artistic oomph and some sort of spiritual presence. And I’m a sucker for detail. I like it when a carver adds accoutrements such as a rattle, rasp, bow and arrow, or quiver, or if he takes time on the earrings or a bracelet, or if he carves the sash in an interesting way. I gravitate toward...

Native American Jewelry Lowdown: The Story Behind Turquoise and Squash Blossoms

By Maribeth Keane and Bonnie Monte — Thanks to my father, I basically grew up involved with Indian arts and culture. He was a graduate of the University of New Mexico and wrote the first popular book on Southwest Indian arts and crafts. In the summer of 1949, he opened a little shop called Ghost Ranch Trading Post at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico. That winter, he moved the shop to Tucson, Arizona. I started doing some of the buying for the shop when I was 16 and took over the store in '72, shortly after I turned 21. I...