Durango High School is not in session today, but people will be streaming through its doors, coming from as far away as New Mexico and Utah, for the annual Native American Winter Market.
The market, previously called Durango Indian Market, has 38 vendors planned to sell their artwork at 42 booths, the largest vendor presence the event has ever seen.
“They (vendors) are still calling me,” said Terri Nuhn, who co-organized the event. “We have a waiting list. There’s just a lot of people interested in this.”
The market will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 in the DHS commons p.m. today.
Nuhn worked with Lucinda Long-Webb to set up the event, which involved reaching out to media outlets across state borders to get the word out. The two are Native American outreach coordinators for Durango School District 9-R’s Title VII program – a federal program set up to support the needs of Native Americans in schools.
Now in its fifth year, the event usually attracts a modest 15 or so vendors. But when Nuhn and Long-Webb took over this year, they saw a chance to expand by placing information in newspapers from Southwest Colorado to Albuquerque. They advertised early, putting out information with the help of the school district in early September. Their strategy worked.
Today’s market will host vendors coming from as nearby as Pagosa Springs, Mancos and Cortez to as far away as Albuquerque and Phoenix.
Each attending vendor has rented a booth for $30, which will fund future events for the DHS Native American Club, such as attending future conferences or seeing speakers at Fort Lewis College or in nearby towns.
Visitors to the event will find Native American artwork ranging from beadwork and clothing to pottery and woodworking.
“It’s not only selling, it’s showcasing the artists and their talent,” said Long-Webb.
The event also will offer a bake sale by the FLC Wanbli Ota Club, which is co-sponsoring the event with the DHS Native American Club, and Navajo tacos made by the DHS club.
But this is more than just a fundraiser, says Nuhn.
“We wanted to reach out farther and let people in our community know that there’s a large indigenous population here,” said Nuhn. “It is a beautiful culture that we live in throughout the Southwest, and to let people who are living within it to be aware of it and see the beauty and the grandeur of what is offered.”
Sarah Ford is a junior majoring in journalism at the University of Denver. herald@durangoherald.com
If you go
Native American Winter Market: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., today, Durango High School, 2390 Main Ave.
