Indian Silversmithing

W. “Ben” Hunt was a master craftsman and hobby expert with a nationwide reputation. He shared the results of his experiences in silversmithing gained through association with many Indian tribes throughout the United States.

While Hunt was not of Indian blood, he identified himself with the Indian mind through living with the Indians. To acquaint himself with Indian lore, Hunt traveled widely, visiting pueblos and houses of the Southwest, the reservations of the Middle Western states, and of Canada. Living and camping with them, he became so much their friend that they gave him an Indian name, “Tasunka Witko,” which means Crazy Horse.

In his inner sanctum, a log cabin in the woods behind his home in Hales Corners, Wisconsin, Hunt developed the crafts that have been the subject matter of his many books. Besides his Indian name, Hunt was also known as “Katcina Ben” to his Boy Scouts and many fans who admired the “katcinas,” Indian dolls, that he was adept at carving.

Besides being a professional commercial artist, craftsman, lecturer, and author, Ben Hunt was a well-known Boy Scout leader and adviser. He regularly contributed articles on handicraft projects to professional and scouting magazines.