Mike Bird Romero (Ohkay Owingeh – San Juan Pueblo)
Mike Bird Romero, born in 1946 in Ohkay Owingeh (formerly San Juan Pueblo), New Mexico, is a respected self-taught jeweler known for reviving and advancing traditional Pueblo and Navajo silversmithing techniques. Drawing on both ancestral knowledge and personal research, Romero’s work is deeply rooted in history, ceremony, and material culture.
Raised in a family of artists—his grandmother Luteria Atencio was a noted potter, and his mother Lorencita Bird was a skilled weaver and educator—Romero was surrounded by creativity from an early age. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, he began teaching himself jewelry-making in the late 1960s, inspired by classic Native silversmiths such as Mark Chee and Julian Lovato.
Romero is known for his dedication to traditional processes. He casts his own ingot silver, carves tufa molds by hand, and makes his own stamps and dies. His designs often include dragonflies, petroglyph-inspired forms, and antique trade beads—each piece informed by years of research and a profound respect for the past. Working closely with his wife Allison, he helped revive the dragonfly-cross pendant form and contributed to the book Heart of the Dragonfly, a study of historic Native jewelry.
In 2007, Romero was recognized as a “Living Treasure” by the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture. His jewelry is held in private and public collections, including the British Museum. Each of his pieces is marked with his hallmark: two small birds, a tribute to both his family lineage and the continuity of Pueblo artistry.