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In the early-morning chill of the high desert, almost 100 Native American artisans, most of them jewelry makers, lined up for one of the 68 numbered sales spots on the blocklong front porch at the Palace of the Governors. It was the first day of winter, and although the temperature was just above freezing, the forecast called for sunny skies and city hotels were full of tourists. That was a promising combination for the vendors hoping to set up shop on what is called the portal, a prime location facing the central Santa Fe Plaza.
Artisans in the portal program — who must meet rigorous requirements to participate — usually start arriving at 7 a.m. and put down a folded cloth to claim a desired spot; at 8 a.m., they are allowed to spread the cloths out and create their displays. (Tables are not permitted.) But if by 8 a.m. there are more vendors than available spaces, as can happen during peak tourism seasons, their location for the day becomes a matter of chance.
And so on this December morning, the artisans took turns drawing numbered poker chips out of a bag to see where, or if, they could land a spot. One pumped his fist when he saw his number. “I’m gonna make a million dollars today,” he said to no one in particular.
Jeanelle Whaler, a bead worker from Santo Domingo Pueblo (a community southwest of Santa Fe also known as Kewa Pueblo), drew a blank chip. Normally she and her silversmith husband, Avelino Whaler, would be out of luck, but a couple of dozen additional spaces were made available along the west side of the building and a second drawing was held for them. In the end, all the artisans who stayed around got a spot.
The site of this distinctive, open-air market is rich in history and, in fact, the one-story adobe building is part of the New Mexico History Museum. The Palace of the Governors dates to 1610 (it was the local seat of government in Spanish colonial times), making it the oldest continuously used public building in the United States, according to the museum’s executive director, Billy G. Garrett.
Native American artisans likely sold their wares on the portal in the 1800s, Mr. Garrett said in an interview, and the practice would have become more commonplace in the 1920s, with the growth of tourism in the Southwest.
The portal program, established in the 1970s, is administered by the museum with a vendor committee of 10 regular members and four alternates handling basic operations and ensuring compliance with rules governing the quality and authenticity of goods. Every piece offered for sale must have a maker’s mark, and every vendor must display a museum-issued identification card.
Almost everyone who visits Santa Fe stops by the plaza at some point and is drawn by “the intrigue of the portal,” according to Randy Randall, Santa Fe’s tourism director and interim city manager. “It’s just something that people don’t miss.”
Shows or festivals featuring the work of Native American artisans are held periodically in a number of cities around the United States, but the portal program is unusual — in part, said Mark Sublette, a longtime gallery owner, because the richness of New Mexico’s tribal and pueblo cultures means it runs all year long. “I don’t think there’s anything like it,” he added.
The history museum thinks of the portal program as a way to engage with local communities and recognize a complicated history. “This entire site is part of an area that was used by Native people before the Spanish came in and established Santa Fe,” Mr. Garrett said. “Part of what we can do in terms of acknowledging the history of our own place is to continue to support Native arts and culture in this way.”
Jewelry accounts for most of the merchandise offered on the portal these days, although some artisans sell pottery, paintings, dolls and other items. And while it is possible to find items for less than $50, there also are pieces executed with high levels of craftsmanship that are priced in the thousands.
Some tourists that are unfamiliar with Santa Fe and the portal might view it as a flea market environment. But it certainly isn’t, said Greg Toya, 64, a jewelry maker who recently was elected by fellow artisans to the 10-member committee. “Not just anybody is allowed to be there,” he continued. “You have to demonstrate that you are able to make what you sell.”
The pool of participants is large — 1,200 to 1,500, by Mr. Garrett’s estimate — but not all of them sell regularly or depend on portal business for their livelihood.
Under the portal’s wide overhang, shoppers can find jewelry made in a large range of styles and materials — and talk to the person who made a particular bracelet or pair of earrings. Rodey Guerro, a 67-year-old silversmith whose mother was Diné (Navajo) and father was Apache, said that people increasingly seemed to be interested in making a connection with the portal artists and learning about the pieces they had made.
That was the case with Beth Strickland, an artist from New Zealand on her first trip to the United States, who bought a $175 silver ring with a thumb-size turquoise stone from Dennis Ramone, a Diné silversmith. “He told me how he makes his work, which really makes the experience interesting,” she said. “It’s just going to be a very special memory for me.”
Shopping at the portal is a tradition for Kolt and Julie Moreland of Lubbock, Texas, who were vacationing with their baby daughter and other family members. “My granddad took me here for the first time when I was like 6 years old,” said Mr. Moreland, who now is 30.
Patricia Anderson, 74, learned to make silver jewelry from her Navajo father and said that at least five generations of her family, beginning with her grandparents, have sold at the portal. One of her great-granddaughters is now learning the craft.
And once in a while, something life-changing happens. Ellouise Toya, who is from Kewa Pueblo, recalled one bitterly cold day in March 1991, when she was a single mother (she now is married to Greg Toya). A stylish customer who didn’t seem to want to talk, and whose name Ms. Toya never discovered, took her time looking at all the jewelry before buying a selection in cash — an $8,000 windfall that allowed the struggling mother to catch up on her bills and buy materials. “I did a prayer for her in my language,” said Ms. Toya, 56, who teared up as she recalled the moment. “I cried because I needed that money. I really had a hard time being a single parent. And she just looked at me and she said, ‘Everything’s going to be OK.’”
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