And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: Gifts from Native America http://www.okit.com/gifts.htm By Jim Gray For those of you looking through the hundred or so Indian gift shops, art galleries or trading posts scattered across the state for the perfect gifts that reflect the Native American spirit of Oklahoma, remember, it's a great bargain. But, buyers beware. In the U.S. the image of the Indian selling their wares on a blanket on a square, are not typical of Oklahoma, yet many Indian people make their living making and selling various types of turquoise, beadwork, ribbonwork and usually sell their products through retailers across the state. For Native American fine art, (sculpture, paintings, etc.), the artists do their best by working with local art galleries and museum gift shops. In a recent episode of ABC's 20-20, the Native American art business is a $1 billion dollar industry. Yet according to U.S. Census data from 1990, the per capita income of Indian people on reservation and trust lands is only at $4,000 per year. This disparity between the money made in the industry and the money earned by the individual Indian artist and artisans across the country is what led to the passage of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990. This law was designed to ensure with federal legislation, that Indian made products were to be given special protection from non-native made products that were billing themselves as Indian-made. To this end, Indian artists were encouraged to make their products and images with special documentation (tribal membership card or CDIB card) so the retailer could ensure to the customers could obtain documentation of Indian made products were actually Indian-made. Also, special emphasis was given to the retailer to provide to customers who ask, information about who made the products, what tribe they belonged to and some form of certificate guaranteeing its authenticity. In the end, much of this extra work is designed to help the customer who pays the money to the retailer and ultimately to the artisan who creates the work. But in most cases, the customer must be willing to ask for this information in order to be sure. In a quick sampling of Indian stores across the state, many like Louis McAlpine of Denoya Trading Post in Fairfax, Oklahoma tell customers "Everything we carry in our store is Indian-made, but in some cases where it is not (like Pendleton Blankets), we tell them. Not just some of the time, but all the time. I've been in a lot of Indian stores where you can't tell which are not Indian made and which are," he said. Westworld, an Indian jewelry store for the past twenty years located in Tulsa, told the Oklahoma Indian Times, "We put all our Indian made jewelry in one area of the store and we put the non-Indian made jewelry in another part of the store," said owner Sid Richardson. "I've been in this business for years, and I can tell you, when people buy the Indian made jewelry, they are getting a real bargain, because it tends to last longer and need fewer repairs," he added. Kathleen Seemont, of the Indian Arts and Crafts Board in Washington D.C. offers some advice to consumers as they shop through Oklahoma Indian gift shops and trading posts this Christmas season. "We need to educate the public," she says in phone interview with Oklahoma Indian Times, "If you're buying something very expensive, it's good consumer sense to obtain information about the product when buying," she says. She also suggested to people to get written verification from the retailers when purchasing what they may believe is Indian-made products. First, buy from reputable people, get a receipt in writing, believing everything you know to be true. Also, be realistic, if the typical squash blossom is priced around $800 dollars then you can't expect to get one for $15 and think it's a real Indian-made item. Look for claims such as �Real Turquoise�, or �Real Sterling Silver�. Remember, you get what you pay for," she cautions. However, according to the act, Seemont says, "The storeowner should be able to tell you the individual and what tribe they come from," she says. "There is a certain responsibility on the retailer. You cannot display for sale items as �Indian-made� if that object is not produced by an enrolled member of a state or federally-recognized tribe." <<END EXCERPT &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment ...http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ `"` `"` `"` `"` `"` `"`
