Navajo Trading Posts Field Trip
April 13 - 16, 2000 By Susan Quillen, Tohono Chul Park DocentRecently, Jack and I had the pleasure of taking the "Navajo Trading Posts, Past and Present" trip offered by Tohono Chul Park. All in all, there were 23 Park members along with Director of Education Jo Falls and Piet Van de Mark and Mary Erickson, owners of Baja's Frontier Tours, the organizers of the trip.
We left early Thursday morning on a large bus heading for Flagstaff, Arizona. We had a delicious lunch at the Weatherford Hotel, a wonderful historic building in downtown Flagstaff. After lunch, Dr. James Babbitt, professor of history at Northern Arizona University, gave a slide presentation on his family. He talked about his grandfather and the history of running the Old Red Lake Trading Post. It was a fascinating look at on of Arizona's most famous families. It also had that personal touch that makes history so very interesting!
After the slide show, we returned to our bus and drove north past Sunset Crater to Sacred Mountain Trading Post. This post is run by Bill Beaver, an individual known for his work to revive Navajo pottery. We pulled up to a very ramshackle building that had a "closed" sign in front. Jack and I have been by this building many times on trips, but we've never stopped because of its tattered appearance. We won't make that mistake again! Just as the bus pulled in, an older man came out and turned the "closed" sign around. It was Bill Beaver's father-in-law. He was minding the store and waiting for us to arrive, as Mr. Beaver and his wife had left to attend a Navajo sing. The store's insides were as rough as the outside but held wonderful items of pottery and jewelry. We were allowed behind the counters to explore the wooden shelves stacked with pottery, helping ourselves and then waiting in line to pay for our treasures. We all got a chuckle when two cars pulled up as we were leaving to take advantage of the "open" sign.
Continuing north, we drove by part of the Babbitt ranch, identifiable by the brand insignia on the fence. The brand contains a "c" and an "o" to commemorate the family's beginnings in Cincinnati, Ohio. We drove to the historic Cameron Trading Post on the Little Colorado River. After getting our room assignments and checking out our rooms, most of us headed directly into the trading post. This post was as large as Sacred Mountain was small and held so much as to be almost overwhelming! It was not only a tourist shop but also a general store and a restaurant. Most of us chose to share a delicious Navajo Taco, being warned by Piet and Mary that they were very large!
After dinner, we gathered in the "Collectors Gallery" for a talk given by Heidi, the Gallery manager, about Cameron's trading history. We were able to see some unique Navajo crafts, both old and new, and we learned that the building was one of the original trading post buildings. It was quite fascinating in itself!
A good night's sleep and breakfast in Cameron were all we needed to start us on our second day. We drove through Monument Valley where the scenery was truly unforgettable. Passing huge stone outcroppings, native hogans, flocks of sheep and goats made for an exciting morning. Lunchtime found us at Twin Rocks Café in Bluff, Utah. It was simple but good fare; most notable was the stew with Navajo bread. Right next door is the Twin Rock Trading Post, a new and modern building, owned by the Simpson family. Like the café, the trading post backs up to a spectacular red rock cliff that has twin rock spires, hence the name. This trading post was different from the past two as it had not only the traditional Navajo crafts of rugs, pottery, baskets and jewelry, but also a large selection of modern Navajo crafts, such as wood-carved chickens, sheep and other items. Georgianna Simpson told us how the older Simpson family members at first rebelled against this new "art," but that it is now sought after by a great many people and is gaining in value. The "new" artists are also creating new designs on rugs and baskets. Damien Jim, a young Navajo artist who works at Twin Rocks, is adapting old patterns and legends into new designs on the computer. These are then given to weavers who interpret and weave these new patterns. It is a wonderful blending of the traditional with new ideas. One of the interesting sidelights mentioned is that traditional designs on baskets are often hard to come by, and the traders are now paying more for them as they are needed for traditional Navajo weddings.) We also walked to Cow Canyon Trading Post across the road. This post felt like a step back in time, with old cars parked out front, and a family living quarters inside.
Having spent the entire afternoon in Bluff, we headed to Blanding, Utah, where we spent the night. Some of us chose to walk to two or more trading posts, not having gotten our fill for the day, before heading to dinner and to bed.
Saturday after breakfast, we headed out again for Chinle, Arizona, and the famous Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site. This post is now owned by the National Park Service but is maintained as an operating trading post with saddles, ropes, fencing, cans of peaches, jellies and jams (plus ice cream) for sale. Made of adobe brick with squeaky wooden floors, it truly keeps the feel of an old trading post.
Hubbell Manager Bill Malone sat all of us down on piles of rugs in the "rug room" and showed us many old and new examples of Navajo weavings. We viewed rugs from a few dollars to some that were worth several thousand dollars! We were then given a tour of J.L. Hubbell's home by the Park ranger. The home contains all of the furniture, rugs and baskets owned by the Hubbell family. The original outbuildings are also still maintained and visitors are welcome to wander through them. A very interesting stone hogan is also on the property and serves as a guesthouse for visitors. A visit to the Visitor's Center gave us insight on how the rug weaving was done and also gave us an excellent opportunity to buy books from their small but well-stocked bookstore.
Driving to Chambers, we once again got our motel room assignments, and after quickly checking in, we headed for Sanders, Arizona. Here, we visited the R. B. Burnham and Company Trading Post. This felt like stepping into a "hometown hardware/grocery/drugstore," with all sorts of items for sale. In addition to all of this, a walk to the back of the post brought you to the woolen room, where Navajo women make their selection from all colors of spun wool. Beyond this was the gallery area with wonderful rugs, crafts, jewelry, baskets and furniture for sale.
Bruce Burnham is the proud owner of this store, and he exudes enthusiasm for his job as a trader. He also treated us to a dinner of Navajo tacos and ice tea with fry bread and honey for dessert. This was our best meal yet! It was served by a group of Navajo teenagers that were earning money for a trip. As the mothers had done all of the preparation and cooking, it reminded me of my former school days. Bill Malone, the Hubbell Trading Post manager and his wife also joined us. He and Mr. Burnham were buddies in high school, and they are still admirers of each other's trading abilities.
After dinner, we again went to the gallery, where Mr. Burnham talked about his trading experiences and how he has an interest in Germantown and Burntwater rugs. He has made wool with the Germantown colors available to weavers, and the rugs are truly wonderful! These are not rugs for the faint of heart, and with names like "eye-dazzlers," they truly fit that description.
This trip was truly a unique experience for all of us, as the average tourist would not have had the advantage of meeting with all of these traders and hearing the stories and explanations of each trading post. It was an opportunity to see how these posts benefit both the trader and the artists who live far from cities and major galleries that would usually handle their works.
Sadly, the next morning after breakfast, we headed back to Tucson, but a trip through the beautiful, steep, Salt River Canyon made our return more bearable. This was one of our best "Park Trips" yet, and it opened the door for us to do some more exploring on our own one of these days.
