2023 - #05: SUPPORTING AUTHENTICITY IN INDIAN ARTS AND CRAFT

WHEREAS, the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) was established in 1970 for the purpose of advocating, planning, and promoting the unique and special educational needs of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians; and

WHEREAS, NIEA as the largest national Native organization of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian educators, administrators, parents, and students in the United States, provides a forum to discuss and act upon issues affecting the education of Indian and Native people; and

WHEREAS, through its unique relationship with Native nations and tribes, the federal government has established programs and resources to meet the educational needs of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians residing on and off their reserved or non-reserved homelands; and

WHEREAS, the Amendments to Respect Traditional Indigenous Skill and Talent (ARTIST) Act has been proposed to amend the Indian Arts and Craft Act, strengthening enforcement mechanisms and accounting for contemporary sales and marketing platforms; and

WHEREAS, the current Indian Arts and Craft Act serves to protect the authenticity and integrity of Native arts and crafts by preventing the misrepresentation and fraudulent sale of counterfeit or non-Native made goods; and

WHEREAS, the ARTIST Act acknowledges the evolving landscape of sales and marketing platforms, including e-commerce and social media, and seek to ensure that these platforms are accountable for the fair and ethical representation and sale of Native American arts and crafts; and

WHEREAS, supporting and empowering Native artists and their creative economies are essential for the cultural revitalization, economic stability, and overall well-being of all American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiian communities.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the NIEA emphasizes the significance of preserving and promoting traditional Native skill and talent, recognizing the immense cultural value and contribution of Native arts and crafts to the heritage, education, and identity of Native communities and is supportive of modernizing updates to the Indian Arts and Crafts Act; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be the policy of NIEA until it is withdrawn or modified by subsequent resolution.