The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990

The law states in part:

“It is unlawful to offer or display for sale or sell any good, with or without a Government trademark, in a manner that falsely suggests it is Indian produced, an Indian product, or the product of a particular Indian or Indian tribe or Indian arts and crafts organization, resident within the United States.” For purposes of this act, “Indian tribe” is defined as:

“A Federally Recognized Indian Tribe, or A Federally Recognized Native Entity of Alaska, or A State-Recognized Tribe”

It is an offense that is criminal to knowingly violate this law. An individual is fined not more than $250,000 and/or jailed not more than 5 years. If a business defies the law, they can be prosecuted and fined up to $1,000,000.

The Law covers all Indian traditional and contemporary crafts created after the year 1935 and applies to promotion of them by anyone in the United States.

With any questions regarding this Act, please refer to:

Indian Arts and Crafts Board
U.S. Department of Interior
1849 C. Street, N.W.
MS 2528-MIB
Washington, DC. 20240