Our Story

Nizhóní means beautiful.

On one hand, it refers to something that is attractive and pleasing to the eye… and on the other hand, it refers to something that is good, enjoyable.

 The Navajo idea of beauty goes far beyond appearances. To us, beauty is a sense of being, comprised of the harmony and balance we feel from within. Objects outside of our own minds can remind us of the beauty we feel from within, and these things are what we call Nizhoni.

Nizhoni Traders has been a family business since the early 70s, originated from the current owner’s father, Pat and her Navajo mother Patricia. Determined and dedicated to bring beauty to all, Pat started out by buying unique pieces from Native artists, traveling state to state selling these pieces of jewelry out of an old Rally’s candy box. Though we’ve come a long way since, we still hold that box near and dear as the starting point of Nizhoni Traders.

Cameron is the current beauty behind the brains of Nizhoni Traders LLC. As a kid she grew up on a ranch between Gallup and Zuni, the perfect location for working with both The Zuni and Navajo artists. Her father had a shop on the ranch where he worked with Navajo Artists, he also had a shop in Zuni where he worked with the Zuni artists. She prides herself on having had the chance to meet and work with many famous Native artists as a child, a memory which she continues to cherish to this day.

As the years went on Cameron and her father Pat moved on from the ranch to start supplying Walmart's in the area with her collection of Native American made jewelry and pottery. They also had the opportunity to outfit the pro rodeo circuit with trophy buckles. This exciting adventure of a childhood is what inspired Cameron to continue in her father’s footsteps.

“He had a vision, and he loved what he did as do I.” Cameron once said—a statement that remains true. “The beauty of all the pieces, and the excitement people have when receiving a new piece from Nizhoni never gets old.” And it never will.