SENATE MEMORIAL 92

52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2015

INTRODUCED BY

George K. Munoz

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE SECRETARY OF TOURISM TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF THE CREATION OF, AND POSSIBLE FUNDING SOURCES FOR, AN ANNUAL GALLUP INDIAN MARKET.

     WHEREAS, Gallup is located on interstate 40, also designated as historic route 66, and is a gateway to the popular four corners region; and

     WHEREAS, Gallup is a dynamic town with one hundred seventeen restaurants, sixty-one hotels, over one hundred Native American arts businesses and over fifty miles of hiking and biking trails; and

     WHEREAS, Gallup is often called the "Indian capital of the world" for its location at the heart of Native American lands and the presence of Navajo, Zuni, Hopi and other tribes; and

     WHEREAS, much of the world's Native American art is made in or near Gallup; and

     WHEREAS, Gallup offers an astonishing and unparalleled variety of high-quality turquoise, silver jewelry, paintings, pottery, sculpture, rugs and blankets, kachina dolls and other Native American arts and crafts; and

     WHEREAS, the Navajos are widely regarded for their artistic achievements in wool, with original Navajo rugs and blankets sought by museums and collectors throughout the world; and

     WHEREAS, the Pueblo of Zuni, the largest of New Mexico's nineteen Indian pueblos, is best known for its intricate turquoise and coral jewelry set in sterling silver; and

     WHEREAS, other Native American tribes in the area include the Pueblo of Acoma and the Pueblo of Laguna, both widely known for their polychrome pottery, and the Hopi in Arizona, known for pottery and carved kachinas; and

     WHEREAS, an annual Gallup Indian market would provide an opportunity for local artists to preserve their cultural heritage and for buyers to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of Native American arts and crafts; and

     WHEREAS, an annual Gallup Indian market also would provide a means of developing and sustaining economic opportunities for the Indian communities;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the tourism department be requested to study the feasibility of the creation of an annual Gallup Indian market; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the tourism department be requested to identify possible venues for the location of an annual Gallup Indian market and cost estimates and possible income sources for funding an annual Gallup Indian market; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the tourism department be requested to prepare a report and present findings and recommendations to the appropriate interim legislative committee by November 1, 2015; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the secretary of tourism, the mayor of Gallup and the director of the greater Gallup economic development corporation.

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