why was turquoise important to the native indians and what did it symbolize?

Answer 1

Jewelry served an important role in Native American culture. It was used in trade with other tribes and people. How much Indian jewelry a person owned was a sign of a Native American’s wealth. Indian jewelry was a type of currency in a way. It was the amount of trade that led the advancements in Indian jewelry as one tribe adopted the techniques of others. This included the Navajo tribe that traded often with the Spanish

Natural turquoise was very important to the Native Americans and the jewelry they made from it held a special place in their way of life. Skystones, turquoise stones, are stones of protection, prosperity, and blessings
A December birth stone, turquoise is said to be the stone of love that will produce happy thoughts for all who wear it. Native American belief associates turquoise -- a gift from the gods -- with horses, discovering desert water and attracting wild game.

In Indian folklore it is said that there was once a chief with turquoise colored skin. One day he was running from his enemies in the hot desert. Whenever he stopped to rest, his perspiration ran onto the ground, collected in rocks and became turquoise.

There are many legends about Turquoise; The Pima consider it to bring good fortune and strength and that it helped overcome illness. The Zuni believe that blue turquoise was male and of the sky and green turquoise was female and of the earth. Pueblo Indians thought that its color was stolen from the sky. In Hopi legend the lizard who travels between the above and the below, excretes turquoise and that the stone can hold back floods. The Apache felt that turquoise on a gun or bow made it shoot straight. The Navajo consider it as good fortune to wear and believe it could appease the Wind Spirit.

Answer 2

Turquoise was important because it was available.