New Indigenous trading post opens in Albuquerque’s Sawmill District

Xol Original opened at 2000 Bellamah Ave. NW in the Shops at Hotel Chaco, putting a Native-led trading post and gallery into the middle of Albuquerque’s Sawmill District. During the June 19-21 grand-opening weekend, the nonprofit made barter part of the business model, swapping tamales for moccasins and turning the launch into a public exchange rather than a conventional retail debut. Founder Valentino Romero said the concept grew from his mother and from his grandfather, who taught him to make moccasins from recycled tires.

The shop spans 1,050 square feet and carries footwear, jewelry, textiles, pottery, apothecary items and art priced from $5 to $8,000. Romero said Xol Original supports about 40 Indigenous artists and returns most sales proceeds to them, a structure meant to keep more of the value created by Native work with Native creators. The organization’s public materials say it connects Indigenous artisans from Guatemala, Mexico, the United States, Taiwan and elsewhere to broader markets.

The opening weekend was staged as a community event, with a fashion show, artisan pop-ups, live painting and a potluck. Plans tied to the space include workshops, storytelling and music-driven gatherings, extending the shop beyond retail into a place where artists can meet the public directly and build repeat business. The launch also centered handmade work and demonstrations, reinforcing Romero’s idea that the space should function as a trading post, gallery and gathering point at the same address.

The location places Xol Original in one of Albuquerque’s most visible arts and tourism corridors, near Old Town and alongside institutions such as Gallery Chaco, which presents Indigenous fine art. Xol Original describes itself as a Colorado-based nonprofit that has worked since 2012 to connect Indigenous artisans and preserve craft and cultural traditions, and Romero’s founder bio says he was raised in a traditional lifestyle shaped by land, community and ancestral knowledge. He has described the model as “sovereign economics,” a direct challenge to the usual retail system in a district where cultural value often flows outward to visitors. The store is open Thursday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.