The Federal Trade Commission and the Indian Arts and Crafts Board are providing tips to help consumers buy authentic Indian art.
"The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 makes it illegal to advertise or sell any art or craft in a way that falsely suggests it is produced by an American Indian or is the product of a particular American Indian tribe," the agencies state. "All claims about the Indian origin and tribal affiliation for any product must be truthful."
The agencies recommend purchasing from established dealers who can provide a written guarantee or written verification of authenticity. Customers should always obtain a receipt and check the requirements of arts shows, powwows and other events.
Get the Story:
Authentic or Counterfeit? How to Buy Genuine American Indian Arts and Crafts
(Federal Trade Commission 6/7)
Inspector General Report:
Indian Arts and
Crafts: A Case of Misrepresentation (June 2005
FY2007 Budget Request:
Bureau of
Indian Affairs Budget | Departmental
Offices [includes Office of Special Trustee]
FY2007 Budget Documents:
Fulfilling
Trust Responsibilities | Serving
Tribal Communities | Protecting
Lives, Resources, and Property [includes Safety in Indian Country] | Budget in
Brief | Interior
Department [from the White House]
Relevant Links:
Indian Arts and Crafts Board - http://www.doi.gov/iacb
Related Stories:
Opinion: Congress mucked up Indian Arts and
Crafts (6/2)
Artist forced to
choose sides: Navajo or Hopi? (5/31)
Fighting fake Indian arts called an uphill battle
(5/23)
Fake Indian art often made in
foreign countries (5/22)
Enforcement
inadequate for fake Indian arts and crafts (04/13)
Budget includes money for DOI Indian museums
(02/09)
Rehberg leads fight to save Indian
museum funds (01/23)
Opinion: Saving
Indian art by killing the museum (1/18)
Tribes want DOI to continue funding Sioux museum
(1/10)
DOI museums set to close but
tribes may benefit (1/6)
Jana McKeag:
DOI to transfer three Indian museums (12/16)
Firm awarded contract to track fake Native arts
(10/17)
Indian artists dealt setback by
federal appeals court (03/03)
FTC investigates fake Alaska Native
art (11/04)
Alaska Native art
campaign a success (10/09)
Fake arts suits owe survival to
strengthened law (3/28)
New
arts act clears Congress (10/25)
Tribe works to protect
art (10/10)
Fake arts still an
issue (08/17)
Fighting forgeries
in Indian Country (05/18)
Federal Trade Commission: Authentic Indian art
Wednesday, June 7, 2006
Trending in News
1 Tribes rush to respond to new coronavirus emergency created by Trump administration
2 'At this rate the entire tribe will be extinct': Zuni Pueblo sees COVID-19 cases double as first death is confirmed
3 Arne Vainio: 'A great sickness has been visited upon us as human beings'
4 Arne Vainio: Zoongide'iwin is the Ojibwe word for courage
5 Cayuga Nation's division leads to a 'human rights catastrophe'
2 'At this rate the entire tribe will be extinct': Zuni Pueblo sees COVID-19 cases double as first death is confirmed
3 Arne Vainio: 'A great sickness has been visited upon us as human beings'
4 Arne Vainio: Zoongide'iwin is the Ojibwe word for courage
5 Cayuga Nation's division leads to a 'human rights catastrophe'