b'GARAGE DOOR REPAIRBy Jim Olson,WesternTradingPost.comM any folks in the world of Native American arts have heard of Robert Yellowhair. Robert was a very prolific and well-known Navajo artist. He painted thousands of pieces over his lifetime. Robert started painting at a very young age, reportedly, at around age 5 when his father would take him to the local trading post, near their home at Na-Ah-Tee Canyon, located north of Holbrook, Arizona. As the story goes, a trader named Charlie McGee recognized the young boys talent and gave Robert his first watercolor set. He painted a picture and a few days later sold it to McGee for fifty cents. Yellowhair began painting in earnest about 1955.Roberts life spanned from August 08, 1937 to July 25, 2016. What a lot of Check outfolks may not know about Robert is that during his lifetime he also became well-known in the Western (Cowboy) world as well. Specifically in the sport all of the areasof rodeo. Yellowhair started his rodeo career in the 1960s and was on the rodeo trail for over 30 years. He we service! competed as both a team roper and a calf roper. He was a past President of the All Indian Rodeo Cowboy Association (AIRCA) and he qualified for the Indian National Finals Rodeo From PrescottOUR SERVICES: (INFR) seven times as a teamThere are numerous buckle roper. He participated incompanies in and around the & Prescott Valleyhundreds of events outsideNavajo Nation today that are in of the sanctioned Nativebusiness because they rode that to WickenburgResidential Repair Specialist American rodeos as well wave of popularity of the style and was known as a of belt buckle Robert started & Buckeye toPanels & Rollers Replaced tough competitor.producing back then. He may not have been the very first to make this Apache Junction Broken Springs & Cables In the 1970s, Robertstyle of trophy buckle, but he was the & Queen Creek toadded another skill to hisfirst to make it wildly popular.Garage Door Openers repertoire. He started making Rio Verde & trophy belt buckles to sell toAlong the way, Robert branched out andNew Garage Doors & Entry Doors rodeo producers. Most folks whostarted making saddles as well. The attention Scottsdale. have competed in rodeo and otherto detail which can be found in his ever- Automatic Gate Openers & Motors equine events across the Southwest frompopular artwork was also carried over THE ENTIRE VALLEYthe 1970s to recent times have either won or atinto the buckle and eventually theCommercial & Residential least heard of a Yellowhair trophy belt buckle. Robertsaddle making business. Robert& ITS OUTSKIRTS! was the founder of Yellowhair Buckles and his son and was hustler.Sales, Service & Installation grandchildren carry on that tradition to this day. Just about any rodeo person recognizes a Yellowhair buckle both in name It was not uncommon for SAVE 5% New Construction. and Much More! and design. Robert to show up at a rodeo when you mention you saw us inevent where the producer was The timing was good for Robert because as he started makinggiving away belt buckles made ARIZONA REAL COUNTRY! trophy belt buckles, the sport of team roping took wings andby Yellowhair Buckles as prizes. became extremely popular. Jackpot events started popping upRobert would be entered in the everywhere (not just at rodeo competitions anymore) and the Navajorodeo and have a stack of artwork 928-222-DOOR (3667) Nation embraced team roping with just as much enthusiasm as anyone.for sale as well. He was paid to make Robert saw an opportunity in making a unique looking, but affordable,the buckles for the event, was entered trophy belt buckle for producers to give out as prizes.in the rodeo to win money and also sold artwork out of his trunk before and after the 602-335-1077 Although there we many who were making trophy buckles for years beforerodeo all as a means to support his family.Robert, he put that Southwest flair on his by adding turquoise and other Southwestern looking accents, very similar to what you find on traditionalMuch has been written about Robert as a popular Native American artist Navajo jewelry. This unique look took off. Couple that with the fact that heand storyteller so we need not go into that here. What is interesting to 480-451-1931 made them very affordable to event producers and this is why his bucklecollectors, however, is that not only was Robert Yellowhair a well-known business catapulted to a high level of popularity. It became a thing forfigure in the world of Native American arts, but he was just as well-known MILITARY & producers across the country to advertise they were giving Yellowhairin the rodeo world. LOCALLY OWNED SENIOR DISCOUNTS trophy buckles to the winners of an event.& OPERATED Licensed Contractor ROC 222636 ArizonaRealCountry.com December 2019 25'