The Negative Impact On Native American Income, Skills, And Culture

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Summer Stephens

Counterfeiting: The Negative Impact on Native American Income, Skills, and Culture What makes a Native American craft or artwork Native American? Is it the way it looks?

Is it the purchase location? No, what adjudicates the authenticity of a Native American product is who created it. Therefore, for the protection of Native American artist and craftsmen, in 1990 the Federal Government established a law making it illegal for non-Native Americans to produce Native American products and advertise them as Indian-made. The Indian Arts and Craft Law was created to be a truth-in-advertising law that states only Native Americans in a federally or state recognized tribe or certified Indian artisan can produce, market, and sell Native American products. This law has been pivotal to the prosperity of Native Americans. With the number of counterfeit goods growing yearly, the protection of Native Americans increases in difficulty. The Indian Arts and Craft Law is vital to the income, culture, and representation of Native Americans.

Some Native Americans rely on the profits made from their merchandise as a primary income. Unfortunately, as the production and selling of counterfeit goods grows, the value of authentic Native American goods has declined, resulting in many abandoning their art and craft making. Consequently, many Native American skills and techniques have been lost. Similarly, Native Americans who sell and produce crafts as a secondary income cannot compete with the prices of the fraudulent merchandise. Many counterfeit goods are made in other countries, making these commodities extremely cheap