The rug my paternal grandmother wove in 1976. It measures 5.5' high x 8.5' wide.

The Betoney Family Story

This is the story of two lives shaped by the land, by necessity, and by resilience—two journeys that would eventually converge to create something extraordinary. Born in the 1930s on the Navajo Reservation, raised without electricity or running water, and separated from their families by the boarding school system, my parents learned early that survival required strength, patience, and the ability to create with their own hands.

My Mother's Journey - Betty Betoney

My mother was born in 1937 on the Navajo Reservation in a place called Standing Horse in Northern Arizona — named after my great-grandmother, Lady Standing Horse, who lived to be 107 years old. My mother was raised on a dirt floor in that same region, in a time when there was no running water or electricity. Kerosene lamps lighted nights, and daily life required patience, discipline, and resilience. Neighbors lived miles apart, and trading posts were many miles away, so whatever was brought into the home was needed for survival, not convenience.

Her mother, Jane Lewis, was both a silversmith and a homemaker. Jane learned the art of silversmithing from her nephew, a craftsman named Howard John. This was the early 1900s, long before specialized tools existed. Mr. John worked with what was available to him, melting silver spoons in an open pit fire he built himself and creating cast molds for bracelets and rings. No silver was wasted. He flattened metal with a hammer to form other pieces and used a simple hand-held torch to fuse silver. Through careful observation, my grandmother learned the craft and made it her own.

My mother learned jewelry making from her own mother, though she rarely spoke of it for many years. As a young girl, she was often required to help grind turquoise stones by hand so they would fit into their bezels. It was difficult work, and she came to dislike it deeply. Her childhood was further shaped when she was taken from her homeland and sent to boarding school in Brigham City, Utah, approximately 620 miles from home. She remained from 1950 to 1954. After four years, she returned home to continue her life with her mother and to care for their livestock.

My Father's Journey - Billy Betoney Sr.

My father's early life followed a similar path. He was born in a wagon while being taken to the hospital and was also raised on a dirt floor, without electricity or running water. As a young boy, he traveled with his mother to the trading post in Teesto, Arizona. The Anglo trading post owner could not pronounce his Navajo last name and told him that from that day forward, it would be Betoni. Later, my father was taken from his homeland and sent to boarding school in Chilocco, Oklahoma, 878 miles from home, where he stayed from 1945 to 1950. During that time, he changed the spelling of our family name from Betoni to Betoney. We were the first Navajos to carry that last name. Today, there are many Navajo families who share it.

At the same time, survival required more than one skill. My paternal grandmother was a Navajo rug weaver and a single mother raising eleven children. In an era before vehicles, she walked or rode horseback for miles to the trading post to exchange her rugs for food. Those rugs were not decorative luxuries; they were essential to her children's survival. Creation in those days was inseparable from necessity.

A Partnership Born from Loss

In 1974, my grandmother Jane passed away. Her death left my mother with a deep sense of loss and an emptiness that could not be filled. In her grief, she gathered her mother's tools—tools shaped by years of work and necessity—and for the first time shared the knowledge of jewelry making with my father.

That same year, something meaningful began. My father proved to be a natural artist. Together, my parents began creating Navajo jewelry using silver and turquoise, guided by tradition, patience, and respect for the generations before them. What they created was never rushed and never careless. Each piece reflected the values they were raised with—self-reliance, purpose, and careful use of resources.

Our parents were in their prime in this photo, 2001.

From 1974 to the present day, they have continued to create unique silver and turquoise jewelry. Over time, they became vendors at the Santa Fe Indian Market, where their work was recognized many times with awards. My father respectfully asked his mother for permission to incorporate her rug designs into his jewelry. She agreed, and he became the first to translate those woven patterns into silver and turquoise. Trading post owners have described his work as "perfect," a compliment we receive with humility and gratitude.

Underlying all of this is an entrepreneurial spirit born not from ambition, but from necessity. In our family, creating was never a pastime—it was how one provided, survived, and moved forward. That understanding has been passed down quietly from generation to generation.

The Story Behind the Carol Bracelet

Among my parents' many creations, the Carol Bracelet holds a special place in our family's story. This award-winning design came to life through collaboration between my father's masterful craftsmanship and my older sister Carol's creative vision.

Carol observed that all other bracelets were rectangular in shape. She approached our father with an innovative idea: "You should make one diagonally and have it hook the wrist." My father took her vision and brought it to life with his skilled hands, creating a bracelet unlike any other—one that gracefully follows the natural curve of the wrist rather than sitting straight across it.

The result was the award-winning Carol Bracelet, named in honor of the sister whose creative thinking sparked its unique design. It stands as a testament to the collaborative spirit and innovation that runs through our family, blending fresh perspectives with generations of traditional craftsmanship.

A Living Legacy, Shared

Over the years, my parents' silver and turquoise jewelry has become deeply respected and highly sought after. Many of their original works now reside in private collections and galleries and are valued in the thousands of dollars. I understand that while many people admire their craftsmanship and story, not everyone can own an original jewelry piece.

For this reason, we chose to share their art in another meaningful way.

By imprinting their jewelry designs onto t-shirts (and sweaters soon), we offer an opportunity to own a larger-than-life expression of their work—something accessible, wearable, and deeply personal. These pieces are not meant to replace the original jewelry, but to extend its reach. They allow more people to connect with the artistry, the history, and the hands behind each design.

Our Collections

We offer two distinct editions to honor both accessibility and the artists themselves:

Open Edition ($41.95) – Beautiful prints of my parents' jewelry designs on unisex tees, perfect for everyday wear and sharing their story with the world.

Collector's Signature Edition ($45.95) – Premium pieces featuring printed signatures as part of the design, celebrating the living artists behind each work and offering a more personal connection to their legacy.

As the years have passed, my parents have naturally slowed their pace. At their age, they are no longer able to create in the volume they once did. Each original piece now requires more time, more care, and more energy. This is not a loss, but the natural rhythm of a lifetime devoted to creation. Their work can no longer be mass-produced, and every piece carries the weight of lived experience and earned wisdom.

Through wearable art, I hope to preserve and carry forward what they have built. Each piece allows people to own and share a small part of a legacy shaped by survival, creativity, and resilience. It is a way to honor artists whose hands have given a lifetime to their craft, and to celebrate their story while it is still being written.

Today, my father is 91, and my mother is 89. They continue to do things their own way, and we do not hold them back. They remain strong, independent, and full of life. We still live in an area of Northern Arizona that has no running water to this day, though we do have electricity. My father still drives 20 miles round-trip to fill the underground water tank at their residence—a testament to the self-reliance and determination that have defined their entire lives. To my siblings and me, they are a blessing and a gift from God—living reminders of resilience, creativity, and days gone by.Christmas 2025 with our family, adorned in my parents' creations - a modest reflection of countless masterpieces crafted since 1974.

I hope that those who wear these pieces do so with pride—knowing they are supporting living artists and carrying forward a history that was never meant to be locked away, but shared. In this way, the Betoney story continues, passed from hand to hand, generation to generation.