Our Story
Introduction
Our Foundation
For generations, Indigenous art has been sold by people who didn't make it, in spaces that weren't built for us, at prices that never reached the artist.
Cowgirls & Indians is the authenticated source for contemporary Indigenous art and jewelry. Every artist is verified. Every piece is hallmarked and shipped directly from the artist’s studio with a Certificate of Authenticity. No gallery markup. No trading post intermediary. Just the maker — and you.
We represent master artisans from federally recognized tribes across North America, with a focus on Contemporary Navajo Jewelry handcrafted in Navajoland by generational silversmiths working in tufa-cast silver, natural turquoise, and 18K gold. These are heirloom pieces built to the same standards as any fine jewelry house—Tiffany, Cartier, Bvlgari—except here, one artisan completes every step from casting to final polish.
Signed, hallmarked pieces by known Native artists now command multiples of unsigned work. We exist to connect serious collectors with authenticated contemporary art while ensuring artists receive 76-80% of every sale — not the 40-50% they earn through traditional galleries. Made-to-order commissions available. International shipping to 30+ countries, fully insured.
What We Built
This marketplace is Indigenous-owned and will remain in Indigenous hands. Every decision we make—about which artists we carry, how their stories are told, what they earn—is made by people who understand these communities from the inside.
Nation. Lineage. Process. Materials. Every artist has a dedicated page that tells the whole truth of what they make and where it comes from. You shop with complete confidence.
Your purchase travels the shortest possible distance between buyer and artist. Pieces ship directly from the studio—no warehouse, no gallery, no trading post. The person who made it is the person who sends it.
Traditional galleries and trading posts across the Southwest pay artists 40-50% of retail—sometimes less. Here, artists own their work and set their prices. We take a small platform fee. They keep the rest. This is what fair compensation looks like.
Why We Exist
The Native art market has always had a structural problem. Most artisans rely on one or two major market weekends a year — Santa Fe Indian Market (SWAIA) in August and the Heard Indian Market in Phoenix — where they can sell directly to collectors at anything approaching full value. For many artists, a single weekend at one of these markets genuinely equals twelve months of income. The rest of the year, they sell to trading posts and galleries at 40–50% of retail.
Cowgirls & Indians was built to change this. We provide year-round, international infrastructure so artisans can focus on what they do best — creating. A great piece doesn't have to wait until August to find the right buyer. They can stay in the studio doing what they enjoy best making heirlooms. We handle the rest.
The Founders
Yá'át'ééh shik'éí dóó shidine'é, Kailey James yinishyé. Bílagáana dine'é éí nishłį́, tábąąhi dine'é éí báshíshchíín. Bílagáana dine'é éí dashicheii. Tsi'naajinii dine'é éí dashinalí. Ákót'éego diné asdzáán nishłį́.
Hello my relatives and my people, my name is Kailey James. I am from the White Clan, born for the Water's Edge Clan. My maternal grandfather is from the White Clan. My paternal grandfather is from the Black Streak Wood Clan. In this way, I am a Navajo woman.
Kailey draws from generations of Navajo tradition, with deep roots in the Vanderwagen homelands of New Mexico — the epicenter of Contemporary Navajo silversmithing.
Stacy brings a heritage deeply rooted in Texas history — a fifth-generation Austinite whose lineage embodies the pioneering ethos of the Southwest.
Together, we built this because we understand these communities from the inside. Because we've watched artists undersell their work out of necessity. Because we've seen trading posts take 60% and call it partnership. Because we knew there was a better way forward.
Your Purchase Matters
When you purchase from Cowgirls & Indians, you are not just acquiring something beautiful. You are choosing to put money directly into Native hands. You are validating Indigenous artistry on its own terms. You are refusing the extractive economy that has defined this space for generations. Every piece on this platform was made by a Native artist. Every purchase reaches them directly.
This is what it means to shop with intention.