More than $175,000 in handmade Navajo jewelry stolen in San Jose

By Lillian Donahue, KNVX

FLAGSTAFF, AZ – A Navajo family said hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of Native American jewelry were stolen from their locked trailer while attending the Stanford Powwow.

Maryetta and Henry Jackson have been creating handmade jewelry for more than 50 years.

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“It’s been part of us for all these years,” Maryetta Jackson said.

They decided to attend the Stanford Powwow for the first time over Mother’s Day weekend, driving from Flagstaff to San Jose.

“They’ve created these on their own, they’ve found their own style,” granddaughter Tracie Jackson said. “We use this work to help educate our community, to help educate non-natives.”

But before the event even started, Maryetta Jackson said they woke up to a nightmare Friday morning.

“They apparently drilled the lock,” she said. “We don’t have a single item, not one ring, nothing. So, we’re going to start all over again.”

San Jose police confirmed that they are investigating the theft after someone broke into a trailer sometime between Thursday and Friday. Police did not share any more information about their investigation.

The family has a unique combined HJ symbol and Diné stamp on every piece.

Maryetta Jackson said that although she’s restarting after 50 years, she’s not giving up her passion.

“You put so much of yourself into the jewelry that you’re making that it becomes part of you,” Jackson said.

Their grandkids jumped into action, sharing information with police, posting their story online and creating an online fundraiser to help rebuild the family business.

“I’m so thankful to be a part of the native community because of this, we look out for each other and we have each other’s backs during these times,” Tracie Jackson said.

The Jackson family is asking for the public’s help to identify any of their jewelry that may have been stolen.

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