Jen’s New Mexico

I’ll admit it–when I first moved to New Mexico, I was shocked by the ubiquity and size of the turquoise jewelry. Concha belts paired with huge squash blossom necklaces, massive cuffs of silver and coral clicking together on the wrists of women and men walking across Santa Fe’s Historic Plaza, wedding rings, in-laid business card holders–it seemed like it was everywhere. The sheer quantity of giant jewelry scared me off, and so did the size. I liked to keep things simple. But that is one of the things about the Land of Enchantment. It sneaks up on you and completely changes your mind.

It took six years but I got into the local jewelry groove. Last July, when I began at the Tourism Department I thought to myself–ok, now it’s time to get authentic. After years of working with media coming to cover the state, it was already clear where one goes if she has the urge to buy inordinately large pieces of polished stone: Gallup.

The drive to Gallup (two hours west of Albuquerque on Historic Route 66 and I-40; three hourse southwest of Santa Fe) is through beautiful wide open country. As you get through the moonscape near Grants and the grasslands east of Gallup, you enter a widemouthed red rock canyon with drainages for tributaries to the Rio Grande. The sky is like a big cornflower blue dome pinned tightly to red, orange, and sand colored earth.  

Gallup has a number of shops where one can buy authentic, traditional Indian jewelry as well contemporary pieces by both native and non-native artists.  The landscapes of the Navajo, Hopi and Zuni tribes that surround the Gallup area influence the pieces, and when you see how big the sky is here in the Land of Enchantment, you see why the turquoise becomes synonymous with that high desert emblem.  People from all over the world come to Gallup to shop, even the buyers for Harrod’s of London.

Gallup is also known for its annual summer event, Inter-tribal Indian  Ceremonial.  From our website:

Since 1922, the people of Gallup, New Mexico have been proud to present the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial each summer. A unique opportunity to immerse yourself in Native American arts, cultures, and traditions, “Ceremonial”, as it is known throughout the region, is a special time when indigenous peoples from throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico travel to Gallup to share the best of their creative and performing talents and diverse heritages with the rest of the world, andto reunite with other indigenous groups. Nowhere else on Earth can you experience tribal ceremonial dances, a contest pow-wow, indoor and outdoor arts and crafts markets, all Indian rodeos, a world class juried art show, opportunities to buy authentic Native American art and jewelry, parades, Native American foods, a ceremonial queen contest, and crafts demonstrations, all in one location at one time.