IACB Publishes New Brochure "Buy Authentic Montana Indian Arts and Crafts"

 

 

 

 

June 17, 2017 - WASHINGTON, DC: In honor of “Made in America Week,” the Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB) of the U.S. Department of the Interior announces the release of a new guide to buying authentic Indian arts and crafts made in Montana.  The consumer protection brochure, Take Home a Treasure from Indian Country: Buy Authentic Montana Indian Arts and Crafts, was created in collaboration with the Montana Office of the Attorney General’s Office of Consumer Protection.

“As a life-long Montana Native and adopted member of the Assiniboine Sioux Tribe of the Fort Peck Reservation of Montana, I support the IACB’s collaboration with the Montana State Attorney General’s Office on this consumer education brochure to promote the work of Montana Indian artists and artisans," states U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.  "I highly commend this work to protect the integrity, creativity, and economic livelihood of Montana Indian communities and cultures.”

The brochure provides information on the federal Indian Arts and Crafts Act, as well as the Montana Consumer Protection Act, which prohibit the marketing of art and craftwork as an Indian product if it is not Indian made.  Consumers will find helpful information regarding the purchase of authentic Indian art and craftwork, including buying tips and contact information for federal and State agencies handling complaints of products fraudulently marketed as Indian made.

“The Montana Attorney General’s Office is pleased to partner with the IACB, and the Interior Department led by our former Congressman – Secretary Zinke – to educate consumers.  This brochure highlights the inherent value of authentic Montana Indian art and better informs both the citizens of Montana and the visitors we welcome to our majestic State,” said Montana Attorney General Tim Fox. 

“Medicine Crow,” a vivid beadwork portrait by renowned Blackfeet master artist Jackie Bread, is featured on the brochure’s cover.  Outstanding work by additional Montana Indian artists, drawn from The Buffalo Bill Center of the West, the IACB’s Museum of the Plains Indian, and private collections, also complement the publication.

In addition to encouraging consumers to purchase authentic Indian products from members of federally recognized Montana tribes, the brochure also encourages the public to visit the IACB’s Museum of the Plains Indian in Browning, Montana.  The Museum features the richly varied arts of Northern Plains tribes, and is hosting a Summer Showcase of Montana Indian Artists exhibition, through July 31, 2017.  The Museum will also host one of three IACB sponsored intellectual property rights protections, marketing and promotion, and Indian Arts and Crafts Act seminars to be held in Montana in September.  For more information on these workshops, please call the IACB’s toll free number, 1-888-278-3253.

To learn more and download a free copy of the Take Home a Treasure from Indian Country: Buy Authentic Montana Indian Arts and Crafts brochure, please visit this link on the Indian Arts and Crafts Board's publications page, email iacb@ios.doi.gov, or call them toll free at 1-888-278-3253.