Ibulliance: Water in the Desert

Eleven artisans from the Diné Nation (also called Navajo) in the American Southwest continue their vibrant tradition of beadwork, crafting cuff bracelets from fine glass beads and supple deerskin. Every member of the Etkie team has honed skills passed down through generations of grandmothers and mothers, and each design is a unique piece that holds the artisan’s personal touch. Woven on small bead looms by hand, the women work from their homes on the reservation and join together once a week to conduct their growing business.

One of the only artisan groups Ibu partners with in the US, Etkie provides stable income for artisans on the remote Navajo Reservation outside of Albuquerque where jobs are scarce and access to markets are slim. Founded by Sydney Alfonso, who worked with artisans in Istanbul and wanted to make a similar impact in her home state of New Mexico, Etkie’s business model is simple: We invest in women, Sydney says.

The women work on their own time, as much or as little as they are able. Dru, who suffered from a severe car accident in 2008 and lost almost everything, regained stability after she began to bead with Etkie. She learned beading from her grandmother, with whom she lived for many years on the Navajo Reservation. Through her beadwork, Dru was able to raise two children as a single mother, and preserve the artistry of her Diné heritage.

Each exquisite bracelet design is a modern interpretation of heritage symbols. Ibu recently received a new collection of cuffs in hues of aqua, turquoise, silver, and gold, inspired by water. For the Diné, water is the single greatest life force and is symbolic of life and death, creation and destruction. Slipping the bracelets around your wrist brings a sense of peacefulness and the blessings of water—and, the knowledge that the women crafting the jewelry are earning life-supporting wages and preserving their communities and traditional lifestyles.

With Gratitude,
Lasley Steever
Chief Marketing Officer