Jeweler Ben Nighthorse Campbell Dies at 92

Colorado—Ben Nighthorse Campbell, former Colorado senator and the founder of Nighthorse Jewelry, died Dec. 30, 2025, in his southwestern Colorado ranch surrounded by family and Northern Cheyenne tribal elders.

He was 92.

Born Benny Marshall Campbell on April 13, 1933, in Auburn, California, he was the son of Portuguese immigrant Mary Vierra and Albert Campbell.

His mother battled tuberculosis for 26 years, and his father struggled with alcoholism and was often absent, according to an obituary shared by his daughter Shanan Campbell, owner of Sorrel Sky Gallery.

This led to Ben spending a portion of his childhood at St. Patrick’s Catholic Orphanage in Sacramento, California.

As a child, his father taught him to solder metal and fashion jewelry, said his NY Times obituary.

While at the orphanage, he would flatten silver coins on railroad tracks and work them into jewelry, which could also be traded for food.

“Making jewelry was a matter of necessity,” said Ben, remembering the time he spent making jewelry with his father for a 2014 story by Art of the West.

“We made things out of coins. We pounded them out, working mostly with Navajo designs. Letting the trains flatten pennies and silver dollars made the work easier for us.”

Art was his constant, said Shanan, and would lead to Ben earning more than 200 national and international awards with his brand Nighthorse Jewelry.

After his turbulent teenage years, he enlisted in the Air Force and volunteered for the Korean War.

Prior to enlisting, he worked as a fruit picker in California’s Sacramento Valley where he met Japanese immigrants who introduced him to judo.

According to his obituary, Ben said that judo kept him off the streets and taught him a philosophy he lived by forever—persevere and never give up.

During his service, he earned his GED and later, under the GI Bill, graduated from San Jose State University in 1957 with degrees in physical education and fine arts.

Ben moved to Tokyo for four years where he trained at Meiji University.

He became a three-time United States National Judo Campion, won gold at the 1963 Pan American Games, campaigned with the United States Olympic judo team, and became the first Native American on the U.S. Olympic judo team.

After the Olympics, he worked as a deputy sheriff, coached the United States national judo team, and taught high school.

This is when he met his wife Linda Price, a Colorado public school teacher, who he married in 1966 and had two children—Shanan and Colin Campbell—with during their nearly 60 years together.

In 1968, Ben investigated his roots by traveling to the Northern Cheyenne reservation in Montana, said the NY Times.

While in Montana, he found previously unknown relatives, enrolled as a member of the Black Horse family, and, in 1980, he was given the middle name Nighthorse.

He went on to serve on the council of chiefs for the Northern Cheyenne Tribe.

Ben founded his brand Nighthorse Jewelry in 1954, according to the brand’s website, drawing on techniques he learned from Japanese sword makers.

As a master jeweler his pieces have been collected by celebrities including Mick Jagger, Robert Redford, and several U.S. presidents.

Nighthorse Jewelry was more than his art, “it was his story, his spirit, and his values made tangible,” his obituary said.

In his later years, his family carried on his legacy, which his daughter Shanan said was one of his greatest joys as he saw a new chapter of his life’s work come alive.

Ben saw his grandson Luke Longfellow, a GIA graduate gemologist, become creative director of Nighthorse Jewelry, bringing renewed energy and excitement to the work, which brought Ben immense pride.

Shanan recounted her father saying, “this was one of the most fulfilling times of his life.”

Ben also served in public office for 22 years.

In 1982, he ran for state representative in Colorado and won. In 1986, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1992, he served in the U.S. Senate.

He was the first Native American elected to the Senate in more than 60 years, according to Alamosa Citizen.

During his time in office, he fought to include provisions requiring the return of Native American remains to their tribes.

Shanan said her father taught her that “perseverance beats luck, that fierce and tender are not contradictions, and that honoring your ancestors means fighting for the future.”

Ben sponsored two national museums in Washington, D.C., helped create two national parks, and has a lake—Lake Nighthorse—named after him.

During his time in office, he remained unapologetically himself, riding his Harley to the Capitol and leading the Colorado POW and MIA Recognition Ride for a decade.

He left the Senate in 2005 and became a lobbyist, later founding his own lobbying firm Ben Nighthorse Consultants, according to the NY Times.

Ben’s honors include the Ellis Island Medal of Freedom, the Order of the Rising Sun from Emperor Akihito in 2011, his induction into the National Native Americal Hall of Fame in 2021, and the Sovereign Warrior award in 2023.

Shanan said her father showed her that where you start does not determine where you finish.

“He transformed hardship into strength and obstacles into opportunity. He taught me that perseverance beats luck, that reinvention is courage, and that you never give up. He was fierce and tender, an artist and a champion. That is exactly who my father was,” said Shanan.

He is survived by his wife Linda Campell; daughter Shanan Campbell; son Colin Campbell; daughter-in-law Karen Campbell; granddaughters Lauren and Caroline Campbell; and grandsons Luke and Saylor Longfellow.

A private family service will be held at Nighthorse Ranch.

A memorial service will be held on April 13, what would have been Ben’s 93rd birthday, according to CBS News. It is slated for 1 p.m. at the Sky Ute Event Center in Ignacio, Colorado.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Northern Cheyenne Boys and Girls Club in Lame Deer, Montana.