Hi, my name is Delwyn Spyder Tawvaya. I am affiliated with the Snow Clan from the Village of Soongöpavi, Second Mesa within the Hopi tribe. I am a Hopi farmer, and a member of the Flute, Katsina & Snake Societies. I am very active in the Hopi calendar life cycle and learning & preserving our way of life. I’m a father of two boys, so I do have eyes watching me as I take on this journey as a silversmith.

I come from a great lineage of silversmiths within my clan, family members, relatives, and uncles, and they learned the technique. I’ve been doing silversmithing silver works since 2016 when I took an apprenticeship program with Gerald Lomeventema, my mentor.

From then I continuously worked with silver using various techniques; it has been seven years now since I have learned the technique of Traditional Hopi Overlay. I have learned other techniques and worked in various museum formats that hold the History of Hopi Overlay Silver. I’m looking forward to more of what, and where, my silver works will lead me in the future. 

Thanks so very much.

Learn more about the unique Qwa-Holo Hopi Silvercraft here.