About Us
The Teec Nos Pos Trading Post, an old fashioned trading post, was established on the Navajo Nation in 1905. It has faithfully maintained the old fashioned trading post traditions initiated by the Noel and Foutz families. Hamblin Bridger Noel was the first non-native the Navajos permitted to establish a post in this section of the reservation.
This Trading Post is a general supply store and also provides many of the tools and material required by the world famous Teec Nos Pos Artisans. The store has an extensive supply of books, with children's books in Navajo and English. Our collection of Navajo hand woven rugs is immense.
Teec Nos Pos is known for being the childhood home of Peter McDonald, former chairman of the Navajo Nation, and for its Navajo rug weavers. Collectors prize Teec Nos Pos rugs for their skilled artisanship and intricate designs. The trading post has a unique backroom with an extensive supply of rugs featuring a wide variety of weaving styles. The back room also has a large collecton of other Native American art.
The Teec Nos Pos Trading Post is where local Navajos shop for their daily needs and sell their unique artistic creations; rugs, silver and turquoise jewelry, kachinas, bead work, and a variety of other crafts. Buckskins and baskets for Navajo traditional ceremonies are bought and sold (recycled). The Teec Nos Pos Trading Post has become a valuable resource for the Navajo sheep herders who sell their wool and mohair. It is the only remaining buyer on the Navajo reservation. Typically, over 160,000 lbs of wool and mohair are purchased each year from Navajos who come from as far away as Page, Lake Powell, and Grand Canyon (Arizona).
The Fall of 2012 has provided a bountiful harvest of pinon nuts for the Navajo Nation. This type of harvest is a rare event as it has been more than a decade since the Navajo was provided a harvest of this magnitude. These nuts are from a Pinon Tree that is native to the Northern Navajo Nation and has been harvested by the indigenous people for more than 1400 years. Pinon nut shells have been found in the cliff dwellings of the ancient Pueblo people (Anasazi). The nuts are harvested by the Navajos and used as sustenance and a means of commerce with the local Trading Posts. Teec Nos Pos Trading Post is privileged to be part of this. Navajo pinon nut harvest and now has several thousand pounds of fresh raw and roasted pinon nuts for sale.
Tony Hillerman (1925-2008) used the Teec Nos Pos Trading Post in several novels, including his first The Blessing Way. His eighteen volume mystery series featured fictional Navajo police officers Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn. A most beautiful and insightful tribute to her father can be found in the photographic journey through "TONY HILLERMAN'S LANDSCAPE" , by Anne Hillerman. The Teec Nos Pos Trading Post is very honored to have been included in this book. The magnificant original photographs in this book are the creations of Don Strel. The ISBN for this book is 978-0-06-137429-6 and is available for purchase at the trading post.