New Tulsa bookstore sets the stage for Indigenous language, music and culture

Over the past few years, Agalisiga Mackey has spent a lot of time on Tulsa stages strumming his guitar as he sings lyrics in Cherokee. Soon he will have his own stage to perform on when Palomino Books & Music opens July 1 in the Kendall-Whittier District. 

The country-folk singer and his author wife, Paloma Lopez, live 50-plus miles east of Tulsa in Salina. But through numerous trips for gigs and cultural activities, they’ve fallen in love with the community of T-Town creatives, many of them Indigenous. That inspired them to launch a business to help make it even stronger. 

“He’s the music man and I’m the book lady — that’s what we call ourselves,” Lopez said as she shelved books ahead of the opening. “We both kind of had the thought of what could we do as artists, as creatives in our respective areas, what can we do on our own.”

The bookstore at 2411 E. Admiral Blvd. carries a curated selection of books from Indigenous authors and about Indigenous topics. There are also chart-topping fiction, must-read classics, thought-provoking non-fiction and bilingual books for all ages. 

Mixed in within the options are used copies, which make books more accessible to the community, Lopez said. The store is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The bookstore also fills a void left by Whitty Books’ departure in January 2025 after nearly seven years of operations in the historic district. 

Mackey, a Cherokee Nation citizen, and Lopez are both language educators and plan to soon offer Cherokee language courses at the store. 

Lopez’s passion for literature runs deep. She is the author of a children’s book, “Popo the Xolo,” inspired by the nine levels of Mictlān and the role Xolo dogs play by guiding those who have passed on in Indigenous cultural understandings of present-day Mexico.

Recent years have brought lots of changes and more roles for Lopez, and she enjoys the opportunity to add “small business owner” to her list. 

“I’ve always been someone who’s liked to have my hands in lots of pots, and it’s hard for me to kind of tie myself down to one area or one thing,” Lopez said. “I’ve been a horse girl my entire life, and I’ve also been an artist, a writer, a student, and now I’m a mom and bookstore owner.”

Mackey admits he’s not much of a reader, but he no longer has an excuse not to be with so many books surrounding him. Being the musician in the family, he’s more excited about the listening room, which he debuts July 3 with a solo performance from 8 to 9:30 p.m. That day, Cherokee artist Kindra Swafford will paint a mural that divides the bookstore from the seated performance area. 

A song swap featuring Mackey, Joleen Brown, Kalyn Fay and Jared Tyler will follow at 8 p.m. July 17. Doors open at 7 p.m.

The store also carries vinyl from Horton Records, minus Mackey’s sold-out debut album, and a curated collection of used vinyl from nonprofit founder Brian Horton’s private collection. 

Lopez said they could have stayed closer to home and opened a similar store in Tahlequah, but “we’re both young. We’re in our 20s, and we have that kind of nature to want to explore, and Tulsa is our spot to do that.

“We’ve come to learn this city really is such a hub for Indigenous creators and really just creators in general that are putting Tulsa on the map,” Lopez said. “We’ve got it all, and we’ve got the best, and I say that coming from the West Coast. There are people who know what’s up and are doing really cool things, and we’re excited to be a part of it.”

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