Norbert Peshlakai was born on May 6, 1953 in Fort Defiance, Arizona to parents, the late Ben Peshlakai and Lydia Peshlakai of Crystal, New Mexico. Norbert is the oldest of nine children. 

Norbert attended the local Crystal Boarding School, Chuska Boarding School in Tohatchi, New Mexico and graduated from Highland High School in Albuquerque.  In high school he painted and sketched finding his hidden talent for art along with being on the high school track team where he excelled.  After high School, Norbert enrolled at Haskell Indian Junior College to study art and became a member of the college cross country track team.  Norbert states, he was short one more art course to satisfy requirement so he enrolled in basic jewelry class which he states often missed until one day he met up with the jewelry instructor who informed him he need to return to class to make up for a grade.  To make up the grade he was asked to produce six pieces of jewelry.  Norbert states with the six pieces of jewelry for his class also made a difference in his overall view of art and laid the foundation for his jewelry. 

Through the years after Haskell, Norbert continued to do jewelry and his style of work transformed to contemporary jewelry.  At the encouraging of a relative by marriage, John Boomer, a wood sculpture, Norbert made his first silver pot in 1977.  That first pot was not to be the last but many years later he is known to have started a new trail of Native Art with silver pots.  Today, he finds many of his silver pots in Art Galleries, books, magazines and a long line of collectors who continue to seek new work in pots or in silver jewelry and most recently many of his silver pots were on display in the Heard Museum.  Norbert has earned many awards from the Gallup Indian Ceremonial, the Eight Northern Pueblo show, Santa Fe Indian Market, Best of Show in 1994 at the Heard Museum Indian Fair and from New Mexico State Senate Standards Award at the 2006 Santa Fe Indian Market.  Norbert also won awards for other Juried shows.  Norbert has had the honors of being a Judge for  the Jewelry category for the 1993 and 1994 Gallup Indian Ceremonial and a Judge for the Jewelry category for 1996 Santa Fe Indian Market.

Norbert also taught jewelry to college students at Western New Mexico University for three semesters in the late 1980’s.  Originally he wanted to take refresher courses in art but ended up becoming a jewelry instructor due to the regular instructor backing out of teaching the class.  The Assistant Professor of Art at the University stated “I was impressed with the very first pictures and this guy is a godsend”.

Norbert shares his artistic talent by encouraging young artist.  Norbert has been a mentor to his two children Natasha and Aaron who both explored their artistic talent at the encouraging of their father at a young age.  Both of his children started participating in the Gallup Ceremonial, Case Trading Post and Santa Fe Indian Market children art where they have earned ribbons.  Today both Natasha and Aaron has expanded to their own recognition for their jewelry work.  One year, he also encouraged a niece and nephew to design and make a jewelry piece for the Gallup Ceremonial and both received honorable mention.

Norbert comes from a family of artist.  His paternal grandfather was a silversmith and the anvil he uses was his grandfathers’.  His mother is known for her Crystal rug design and his five sisters and younger brother learn the art of weaving from their mother.  His late brother, Clifford was a artist in painting and drawing. 

Norbert has his Art Studio name Peshlakai Vision located in Gallup, New Mexico at 206 S. 3rd Street and can be reached by mailing address at P.O. Box 5256, Gallup, New Mexico 87301.