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Show Thursday, August 29, 1974 Crafts Board Revii as of Indian Crafts WASHINGTON. D.C. The (AIPA) participate , soon in a nationwide crackdown on misrepresentation of fake Indian jewelry as "genuine and authentic, said Robert Hart, an official of the board here during a recent interview. Currently, six Seattle-are- a companies who have imitation Indian handcarvings of Alaska Native craftsmen face charges brought against them by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Allegations are that the six mass-manufactur- companies are marketing imitation carved artifacts which give the appearNative-mad- e products, and thus are misleading consumers, who believe they are purchasing genuine and authentic Alaska Native products. The FTC is acting as prosecutor in this case, with the six companies as Indian plaintiffs. Local Seattle-are- a media are closely watching the case, while Indian officials have taken notice of the significance of this and similar cases. Atrial may take (dace in autumn on the iftccompluhnifiitSi "Well be going into all the shops in the United States, said Hart himself recently. "All the shops was taken to cases. The Indian Arts and Crafts Board, on the other hand, will participate in the crackdown by a massive program to educate the public concerning such offenses, as well as to inform and to educate the public concerning authentic American Indian jewelry. Also, according to Robert Hart, the Board wants to bring in private investigating services-no- ne with ties to the federal system--to support the investigation across the mean all the U.S. dealers whose business somehow was connected with the Indian arts and crafts industry. We are not a Mi s. " '' ; - Filled the Assistant Director pesitiM for the Ute Manpower Tribe. She boo been employed in the tribal amounting section as supervisory .computer operator far the poet year-en- d LINDA GARCIA lf. - Was recently hired as JIM POTEET restaurant manager far the Bottle Hollow Resort. He and his wife moved to Utah from Long Beach, Calif, where be woo employed at the Fiddlers restaurant. Three The Board has also received a recent complaint about the misrepresentation of Indian jewelry in the Southwest signed by about 10 persons on an unofficial letter. Well take action on this letter, assured Hart. He explained that letters of complaints do not have to be official, but he stressed that a complaint letter from a group as opposed to an individual-wou- ld have more significance. mass-produc- Letters containing documented proof of fraud or misrepresentation "would be even better, he added. The Board refers letters to the appropriate agency if the Board itself cannot by law take care of All-Indi- - the complaint. non-India- The Board also has a certification seal to each eligible Indian, Eskimo and . Aluet crafts marketing enterprise. The certificate can be attached to registered trademarks, or craftsmen, "declaring that it is recognized by the Indian Arts and Crafts Board as a Native American enterprise dealing in genuine Native American handicrafts products. An enterprise must meet some major conditions to be eligible for the additional protection of this certification. The enterprise must meet three major, conditions: It must offer for sale only genuine Native American handicraft products; it must be entirety Native American-owne- d and controlled; and it must agree to apply certificates only to such products as meet the standards of quality approved by the Indian Arts and Crafts Board at the time of application for certification. Potential applicants must apply to the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, Room 4004, Interior Department, Washington, D.C. 20240. Letters of complaints or letters seeking additional information may also be sent to this address. As part of the national crackdown on possible misrepresentation of Indian jewelry, the Board also wants to run a test to see how many persons actually use the certification seal to determine its effect to date. Hart also explained that perhaps an individual certification seal may be necessary. Right now, the Board does not have an individual certification policy. Can this be done in the future? As far as Im concerned, said Hart, "it is going to happen - absolutely. Hart also added that the individual certification should (Continued on page 8) ! Woo recently selected FAYE MIGUEL to fill the voucher clerk position in the tribal accounting section. . e, non-India- work? Protection One answer is through the means of the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, where the Indian artisan can find some protection and advice on how to protect his - TABBEE Received a to month this supervise the promotion tribal computer section. She was the nooiotont computer operator for the accounting department. WILBURTA . dealer-individ- .. u As wri&en in the 1985 law which created the Board, the craftsman can he protected if he uses a governmentala trademark. But in order to obtain such trademark, (me has to finish his work completely by hand, not by machine. Currently, the Board has no craftsman registered through the federal government. Even this means does not limit the craftsmans protection, since according to - f letter. In New Mexico early this year one company, called Sunbell, Inc., ran into some opposition from Southwestern tribes when it attempted to expand its downtown plant in Albuquerque. Sunbell in one of its many commercial designs imitates patterns of authentic Indian their items by jewelry, machine and markets them worldwide. Indian opposition against Sunbell arose principally from the Navajo Tribe, Zuni Pueblo Pueblo, the intertribal Council (AIPC), National Indian Youth Council (NIYC) and various local n support organizations. The Sunbell controversy simmered down when it withdrew its expansion plans, but Indian craftsmen and leaders saw a great need to amend or revise the current New Mexico Indian arts and crafts law which, according to area leaders, did not have enough "teeth in it. In the New Mexico law there are no requirements for marketers or dealers to tag or stamp each piece as genuine and authentic Indian-mad- e craft work. Missfrom the law, according to one ing was craftsman, stronger language which ual would require each and every or organ ized-- to monitor each piece and to make certain the piece was and not one made genuinely Indian-madn hands or machines. Indian by leaders was the Sunbell withdrawal as a sign of victory, but in this case the New Mexico law needed updating. ' Such developments and announcements can how mean hope to Indian craftsmen-b- ut his for can he seek or find protection 11 I'- prosecuting agency, added Hart. "When we get a complaint, we will refer the complaint which does not have to be a formal (me to the appropriate federal agency. We will immediately send a letter back to the complainer, letting him know what action was taken on his nation. work. POge 7 l?Tln)lnll the same act, "any person who shall wilfully offer or display for sale any goods, with or without any governmental trademark, as Indian products or Indian products of a particular Indian tribe or group will be guilty of a misdemeanor with a fine and possible imprisonment. But a key word, explained the Boards Robert Hart, is "wilfully, since motivations behind the word are hard to prove. It seems a dealer can easily argue that he did not know he was selling a fraudulent piece of jewelry-a- nd thus did not "wilfully break the law. The FTC in a public statement in 1948 announced its policy toward the misrepresentation of American Indian craftsmanship. The FTC official here in Washington, when asked how many persons or companies had been charged or accused of such fraudulent acta, answered "very few in the last six or seven years, but he did cite the Seattle companies as one example of FTC Indian , Arts and Crafts Board will ance of genuine Alaska Ute Bulletin 11m - -- JULIA COLOROW -- Assumed the duties of fiscal account r dork for the tribal accounting deportment. - Not pictured is Cecelia Jenks who was 'promoted to assistant tor. Woo recently CHIPETA McCOOK hired to work at the Casting Shop no eenmie worker. |