First-ever Tucson Indian Market will showcase native works

The market, which will showcase traditional Native American art and handiwork, will run 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days at the Whistle Stop Depot, 127 W. Fifth St. Cost is $5 for adults, while kids 12 and younger get in free.

Items such as jewelry, pottery, basketry and woodcarvings will be available for purchase, along with native foods such as stews and fry bread. Traditional dancers will perform both days.

Ayala is the artistic director for the Whistle Stop Depot and the event’s coordinator.

“Everything will be authentic to our culture. That’s the thing that we really stress,” he said. “Each bracelet, ring, dreamcatcher or basket is one-of-a-kind because of the actual time and craft that goes into it.”

Ayala has helped orchestrate similar events in other states, then realized he had never done it in his own community.

The aim of the event is for indigenous people to share their culture with others — not necessarily to make money from it, he said.

“Tucson is known for being a very close-knit community, and I don’t want this to explode into a market that has hundreds and hundreds of vendors, and then it becomes commercialized,” he said.

Nancy Bender, co-owner of the Whistle Stop Depot, a community event space, said Ayala brings his background, expertise and wisdom to the establishment.

“When Gabriel walked in here there was a chemistry immediately between him and the building,” she said. “It’s pretty much his magic that has been able to create this event.”

Vendor booths will be outdoors, but hot drinks will be for sale to warm up browsers. Shoppers can expect fair prices, Bender said.

“Nothing is going to have a high ticket. It’s more of a community service that we want to provide,” she said. “We want to make sure people are happy and comfortable while they’re here.”

Bender said she and Ayala want to stress the connection between the community and the makers of the items people are purchasing — a trait missing from shopping at a mall.

“You don’t have an opportunity to connect with the creator of the art, and that’s an important thing for us,” she said.

Louis Valenzuela, a professional woodcarver, will be one of the featured artists. “My artwork is all focused on the tradition of a culture, the Yaqui nation,” said Valenzuela, who will be selling wooden sculptures, paintings and Pascola masks.

“I also want to do a demonstration with a machete,” Valenzuela said. “It shows the people that we create the art by hand, what it takes to create the art, and the beauty and story behind it.”

For Valenzuela, it’s important to focus on what he and the event organizers can do for indigenous people.

“It’s an opportunity to showcase the work and show the younger generation that we still keep our traditions going,” he said.

Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild will be at the Tucson Indian Market at 10 a.m. Saturday to proclaim Nov. 30 as Indigenous Peoples Day.

“We are very proud of our culture, so this acknowledgement from the mayor is really going to have an impact on the community,” Ayala said. “We’re encouraging as many people to come and celebrate with us as a people of the proclamation.”

Reham Alawadhi is a University of Arizona student who is an apprentice at the Star. Contact her at starapprentice@azstarnet.com or 573-4117.