Atsidi Sani
Atsidi Sani was the first known Navajo silversmith.
Background
Sani was born near Wheatfields, Apache County, Arizona, c. 1830 as part of the Dibelizhini clan. He was known by many names, but to his people, he was known as Atsidi Sani, which translates to "Old Smith," and to the Spaniards he was known as Herrero, which means "Iron Worker." Some of his other names included, Delgadito, Herrero Delgado, and Beshiltheeni. In addition to being a silversmith and a blacksmith, he was also a medicine man, spiritual keader, ceremonial singer, and a Navajo chief.Sani played an important role in the history of Navajo silversmithing. He is known by many to be the first Navajo silversmith, although his main focus was blacksmithing; working with iron. Many agree that he learned silversmithing in the year 1853. According to Navajo tribal leader, Chee Dodge, Sani must have learned to work iron around the age of 25. Dodge knew Sani personally. In fact, he used to assist Sani in walking, as Sani became blind in his older years. Furthermore, Sani learned his blacksmithing skills from a Spaniard man who the Navajo nicknamed "Nakai Tsosi" whose name translates to "Thin Spaniard". Sani decided that he wanted to learn to make bridles so that he could sell them to his people, who otherwise bought their bridles from the Mexicans. He became good friends with Tsosi and eventually learned to work iron by watching him work.
Between the years 1850 and 1865, Sani was the "most important iron smith". His iron work seems to have consisted mostly of bridles. Grey Moustache recalls "watching Atsidi Sani make bridle bits out of pieces of scrap iron. He made them with jingles hanging from the bottom." In addition, as a silversmith, he was just as equally important. "Both traditional and documentary evidence point to the 'old smith' as being the 'daddy of silversmiths.'" Some of his early silver work consisted of conchas, bracelets, and a variety of other jewelry pieces, the first of which was generally agreed to have been made in 1853.
Sani became a prominent chief for the Navajo at Fort Defiance, Arizona by 1858. He became an active political leader, while continuing his craft in silversmithing.