I, John D Kennedy, grew up in a unique family occupation - Indian trading. It is an old profession that describes people who traded with American Indians and most commonly associated with the American Southwest. There were traders in other parts of North America with sufficient Indian populations to sustain them; notably the northern plains. However, no traders assimilated into the population as did southwest traders. The southwest had, and still has, the largest American Indian population and the longest trading tradition. Within a 200-mile radius of Gallup, New Mexico there are thirty-three tribes, the largest being Navajos of New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. The Navajo reservation is eight miles from Gallup and the Zuni reservation is twenty-two miles south.
When my granddad went to the rez and built his trading post and home in 1913, there were ~twenty other traders in an area the size of West Virginia. He built, at the time, the largest trading post facility on the reservation. By 1950, the number of trading posts grew to 250. Approximately 70 of those posts were within a 60-mile radius of Gallup and flourished because of transportation limiitations, the only means of which were wagons and horseback.
From 1950 to 1980 there were only two people that ever traded wtih all of the Navajo trading posts - Dad and me. In addition to acquiring Navajo rugs we were the largest suppliers of pinon nuts in the US. That market required a large and efficient network with trading posts.
The1950s through the 1980s was the apex of Indian trading in North America. Its demise began in the late 80s. We participated in the evolution of the business from horseback and wagons to airplanes and computers. Following graduation from the University of Arizona and then to a Fortune 100 company, I began to realize and appreciate the special knowledge and legacy of my family's profession; so, I returned to trading. It remains a passion in my life along with the experiences and knowledge that prompted writing four books relative to my and my family's experiences. My published books are a part of this website. The books reflect the legacy of both my family and me as I wrote from experience in dealing with and knowledge of American Indian people. For years I heard constant refrains from people talking to my grandparents, then my dad, and finally me - "You should write a book." The fourth book, History of Navajo Trading: 1950 to 1980 is to be released in 2023. This is a personal reflection of our history with Navajo trading posts. I am the only person remaining to tell this unique history.
My dad was a wealth of information on trading and we bantered about it for years. He was one of the smartest people I have known. He retired from trading at the age of 98 and then passed away in his 102nd year in 2015. I and my family had a great run with him.
Durng our time together at Gallup Indian Trading Company were annually obtained over 30,000 pieces of Indian jewelry and 6,000 Navajo rugs. Most all of our transactions included trading. Over the years we traded groceceries, gas, silver, turquoise, and other necessary items with silversmiths and Zuni jewelry with Navajo reservation traders.
In 1982 I split from our family business and started my own company. I went from working with nearly one hundred employees to one. My accounts dropped from several thousand to less than ten. I focused my business on large companies in the western national parks as well Disney world-wide. For most of my accounts I was their exclusive supplier of American Indian arts and crafts.
My experience provided opportunity to handle special quality arts and crafts. Arguably, I dealt with more North American tribes and Eskimos that anyone in the business. I always had to remind myself that I was in business to both "buy" and "sell". Often times I held on to special pieces for awhile. Typically, I would enjoy them through the winter season and then reluctantly part with them the next season. I confined my business to contemporary arts and crafts because of National Park Service restrictions on antiquities. I was, however, fortunate to come across some nice collections through the years.
I founded the only trade association in the business, the Indian Arts & Crafts Association, which functioned for nearly forty years before it ceased in 2019. I served on the Advisory Board of the National Park Service for seven years
During my time it became politically correct to use the term Native Americans. However, meaning no disrespect, everybody that I knew and dealt with preferred American Indian as the correct terminology and that dictates my choice,
This site contains a large selection of American Indian arts and crafts; many of which are diminishing commodities. But, they do not have to be watered and fed so there is no shelf life. There are many photos and much information on this site, which includes approximately 500 listings.
The purpose of this website is documentation for the Lariat Common Law Investment Trust. However, items are available for sale. If you have an interest in anything, please email John at the address below and arrangements can be made through PayPal for payment to the Trust. The latest update on pricing is April 2019. The Kennedy-authored books are available on eBay and not part of the Trust.
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