For greater than a century, the Hubbell Buying and selling Submit and others prefer it on the Navajo Nation have been the go-to spots for locating distinctive Navajo artwork. You’ll discover all the pieces from handwoven rugs to fantastically embossed pottery and elaborate silver-and-turquoise jewellery. The excellent news is {that a} handful of the unique buying and selling posts are nonetheless in operation, providing a outstanding array of products and artworks.

Relationship again to the late 1800s and early 1900s, buying and selling posts lengthy served as gathering locations the place Navajo individuals introduced their blankets, rugs, and woven baskets to commerce for wanted items like flour, espresso, sugar, and instruments. Right now, the historic companies on the Navajo Nation proceed to supply world-famous Navajo art work.

Despite the fact that Navajo artwork can be broadly accessible in outlets and at artwork reveals in Southwestern cities like Scottsdale, Arizona, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, I discover that there’s something splendidly genuine about wandering by way of the historic buying and selling posts or shopping the flea markets in communities on or close to the Navajo Nation.

On my many visits through the years, I’ve at all times marveled on the stunning craftsmanship accessible on the small-town buying and selling posts. And on the flea markets in cities like Tuba Metropolis in Arizona and Gallup in New Mexico, it’s gratifying to often discover myself shopping for instantly from the artist who created a selected turquoise necklace or piece of colourful pottery.

Listed here are seven incredible locations you’ll find genuine Navajo artwork, jewellery, pottery, and rugs.

1. Hubbell Buying and selling Submit Nationwide Historic Website

Ganado, Arizona

Generally known as the oldest repeatedly working buying and selling publish on the Navajo Nation, the Hubbell Buying and selling Submit, positioned close to Ganado, Arizona, makes for an interesting cease on a highway journey by way of northeast Arizona and northwest New Mexico.

Within the Nineteen Sixties, the buying and selling publish was designated as a nationwide historic web site, and it has since been generally known as the Hubbell Buying and selling Submit Nationwide Historic Website. Right now, guests can browse cookbooks, postcards, Arbuckle’s Espresso, and aprons created from Blue Chicken Flour sacks within the park retailer. They will wander into the adjoining buying and selling publish rooms which are filled with shiny pottery, intricately woven baskets, and heaps of rugs with distinctive geometric designs.

As you browse, you may be strolling the place generations of merchants and buyers walked earlier than. The buying and selling publish’s historical past dates again almost a century and a half to when John Lorenzo Hubbell started buying and selling within the space in 1876. He bought the buying and selling publish in 1878 and would go on to construct an empire that included a number of buying and selling posts in addition to stage and freight strains. At numerous occasions, he and his sons owned 24 buying and selling posts, a wholesale home in close by Winslow, and different enterprise and ranch properties.

Together with the park retailer and buying and selling publish, the historic web site additionally contains the grounds of the Hubbell household dwelling, preserved a lot because it was when the household bought the publish to the Nationwide Park Service in 1967.

Guests ought to plan to spend 2–3 hours shopping the park’s customer heart, the mercantile, the buying and selling publish, and the beautiful grounds that embody stables, a backyard, and a small hogan-style constructing.

Professional Tip: The park sometimes presents restricted, guided peeks into the Hubbell dwelling, a one-story, rambling abode-block dwelling. At the moment, entry to the house is being provided based mostly on employees availability.

2. Richardson Buying and selling Submit

Gallup, New Mexico

Put together to be amazed on a go to to the big operation that’s the Richardson Buying and selling Submit, positioned alongside historic Route 66 in Gallup, New Mexico. The shop is so chock-full of gorgeous items of artwork, it may be troublesome to know the place to look upon getting into. One exhibit showcases ornate squash blossom–type turquoise necklaces, whereas others showcase silver belts, Navajo and Hopi pottery, leather-based saddles, and kachina dolls.

After which there may be the buying and selling publish’s rug room — a cavernous space that options stacks of attractive rugs of each conceivable colour and design. The room is alleged to include greater than 1,000 rugs, and every of them tells a narrative. Richardson’s supervisor Larry Fulbright is a outstanding supply of knowledge on rug designs, the person weavers, and the historical past of Navajo rug making.

Guests might simply spend 2–3 hours shopping all that Richardson Buying and selling Submit has to supply.

Professional Tip: The shop makes an excellent cease on a strolling tour of downtown Gallup’s distinctive Route 66 historical past and colourful murals.

3. Gallup Flea Market

Gallup, New Mexico

Should you occur to be within the Gallup space on a Saturday, the Gallup Flea Market is taken into account a must-see. Billed as one of many largest Native American markets in america, the Gallup Flea Market options greater than 500 distributors. As many as 10,000 guests are stated to buy on the market every week.

I liked the outside setting and the large number of items and artwork items that had been accessible once I visited in August 2022. As I browsed, I got here throughout stunning handmade pottery, jewellery, and work alongside memento objects similar to blankets, umbrellas, and tote baggage.

Professional Tip: When you have the time, plan to spend a full morning or afternoon on the flea market, stopping for lunch at one of many many stands that provide tamales, fry bread, or mutton stew.

4. Tuba Buying and selling Submit

Tuba Metropolis, Arizona

One other historic buying and selling publish is on the market on the western aspect of the Navajo Nation on the Tuba Buying and selling Submit. The fantastically restored retailer dates again to 1906 and options two ranges of Navajo arts and crafts, similar to hand-crafted silver jewellery, pottery, woven rugs, sand work, kachina dolls, and clothes.

Together with its genuine Navajo artwork, the buying and selling publish carries all kinds of memento objects, similar to Navajo Nation t-shirts, magnets, and blankets.

Tuba Metropolis is positioned close to the western fringe of the Navajo Nation alongside Freeway 160, 10 miles east of Freeway 89, a well-liked vacationer route between Flagstaff and Web page, Arizona.

Professional Tip: Additionally positioned on the grounds of the buying and selling publish is Tuba Metropolis’s glorious Discover Navajo Interactive Museum. The museum presents an interesting take a look at Navajo historical past and tradition, and it’s positively value a cease of an hour or two on a go to to Tuba Metropolis. 

5. Tuba Metropolis Flea Market

Tuba Metropolis, Arizona

On Friday mornings, space artisans collect on the Tuba Metropolis Flea Market, an occasion that options dozens of distributors providing jewellery, pottery, blankets, and quite a lot of Navajo meals staples.

For me, the spotlight of the Tuba Metropolis Flea Market was perusing the various conventional meals, similar to roast mutton; Navajo tacos made with fry bread and beans or meat; blue corn mush, a porridge-like dish made with blue corn meal; and kneel down bread, which is made with corn and is also referred to as Navajo tamales.

The flea market additionally options many cubicles promoting colourful blankets and turquoise jewellery.

6. Teec Nos Pos Buying and selling Submit

Teec Nos Pos, Arizona

The Teec Nos Pos Buying and selling Submit dates again to 1905, and it payments itself as an old school buying and selling publish that has faithfully maintained the traditions initiated by the early founding households.

The buying and selling publish is positioned within the distant city of Teec Nos Pos within the far northeast nook of Arizona, close to the 4-Corners space, the place New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, and Arizona come collectively. The buying and selling publish operates as a common provide retailer and likewise gives lots of the instruments and supplies wanted by the well-known Teec Nos Pos Artisans. Amongst different issues, the buying and selling publish carries an immense assortment of Navajo hand-woven rugs.

“The Teec Nos Submit Buying and selling Submit is the place native Navajos store for his or her each day wants and promote their distinctive creative creations: rugs, silver and turquoise jewellery, kachinas, bead work, and quite a lot of different crafts,” says the web site.

7. Cameron Buying and selling Submit

Cameron, Arizona

Positioned alongside the busy Freeway 89 route from Flagstaff, the Cameron Buying and selling Submit has lengthy been a well-liked cease for vacationers. The buying and selling publish retailer is only one of a number of companies in Cameron, which is alongside the scenic Little Colorado River about an hour north of Flagstaff.

Cameron’s tremendous artwork gallery is understood for its Navajo rugs, Hopi pottery, Hopi kachinas, silver and turquoise jewellery, and Apache baskets. Together with the Native American tremendous artwork gallery are the Grand Canyon Resort and the Cameron Buying and selling Submit Restaurant.

When To Go to The Navajo Nation

Spring, summer season, and fall are all nice seasons to take a highway journey by way of the Navajo Nation and take a look at the varied buying and selling posts and flea markets. Tuba Metropolis has common excessive temperatures within the 60-degree vary in March and April, and within the 80s and 90s from Could by way of September. October is gorgeous all through northern Arizona, with common highs in Tuba Metropolis within the low 70s. The months of November by way of February are usually chilly in Tuba Metropolis, with common highs within the 40s and 50s.

Professional Ideas: Vacationers will discover genuine buying and selling posts in distant cities all throughout the Navajo Nation. The Uncover Navajo tourism web site lists a variety of different locations to take a look at.