Mitchell Zephier,
an enrolled member of the Lower Brule Lakota tribe, began creating jewelry in the early 1970s. His first teacher, Frank Standing High, taught him the basics of cutting and shaping metal at a summer program at Dartmouth College, and later he apprenticed with his aunt, a Zuni jeweler who taught him inlay techniques.
Mitchell's vision has been to develop his own style based on Lakota history, culture, and spirituality. He designs jewelry in German silver, brass, and copper often inlaid with crushed materials such as pipestone, alabaster, lapis, or malachite mixed with epoxy as a holding agent. Mitchell collaborates with family who help with inlay work or other detail-oriented aspects of the process.
