LITTLECROW TRADING POST POLICY
Indian Arts & Crafts Compliance

Nothing here is intended as legal advice. It's for informational purposes only.

Our policy for selecting merchandise for Littlecrow Trading Post is that it must be culturally accurate, and a good value. This includes many products which are not Indian-made, as defined by Indian Arts & Crafts laws, including most commercially-produced goods. Any reference to clothing associated with a specific tribe IS A REFERENCE TO THE STYLE of that tribe's clothing, and is not a claim that a member of that tribe made the item.

DO NOT assume than any product listed on this website is "Indian Made" in accordance with the Indian Arts & Crafts legislation, unless specifically stated.

All regalia items sold here are GUARANTEED to be AUTHENTIC in styling and construction, as worn by Indians or seen at Indian powwows here in Oklahoma on any given weekend. We won't sell any regalia that we wouldn't want our friends or family to be seen wearing in the arena right here at the tribal powwow grounds.

We use both Indian and non-Indian contract labor, and buy many commercially-produced items. Some items are imported. Nearly all fabric is manufactured in China. Our goal is to provide quality goods at reasonable prices to our customers, regardless of origin.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING INDIAN ART LEGISLATION

IS IT "INDIAN MADE" ?

People buying Native American style artwork and crafts sometimes ask "Is it Indian Made?"

The United States Congress passed legislation in the 1990's which requires that any artist promoting their handwork as an "Indian Made Product" must be a registered member of a federally or state-recognized Indian Tribe. Beware of people claiming membership in a "state-recognized" tribe. HUNDREDS of non-profit organizations have popped up in recent years calling themselves a "tribe". Some even incorporate the word "TRIBE", "BAND OF (tribe's name)" or "INDIAN" in their legal name. This DOES NOT necessarily mean that they have LEGAL STATUS AS A TRIBE in their state.

WHY IS THERE SUCH A LAW?

It's a sad fact that foreign & domestic frauds have been taking food off the tables of Native American artisans for years. The law was designed to suppress unfair competition from foreign manufacturers & non-Indian artists who were promoting knock-offs of Indian art, beadwork, jewlery, & pottery as Indian made. Despite the law, many violators continue promoting their fraudulent products openly. If you are buying art which is promoted as authentic "Indian Made", ASK FOR DOCUMENTATION of the artist's name and tribal registration information.

There are many people of Native American descent in the United States who sell "Indian style" products. Race and citizenship are not the same thing. For example, if your grandparents came from Italy, you still have Italian blood running through your veins, and are still related to your Italian family. But being American-born, you aren't an Italian citizen. Tribal citizenship is the same concept. Native descendants who are not citizens of a federally recognized tribe are allowed to make TRUTHFUL statements as to their heritage.

If you're aware of a vendor who is fraudulently selling products as "Indian Made", report the violator to the Department of Interior's Indian Arts & Crafts Board at http://www.doi.gov

WHY WOULDN'T AN INDIAN BE A REGISTERED MEMBER OF A FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBE?

There are as many reasons as there are non-registered Indians. There are two very common reasons here in Oklahoma. One reason is that many Indians living today don't meet the blood quantum requirements to be a member of their tribe. Even some full-bloods are descended from too many tribes to have enough "blood quantum percentage" of any one tribe to meet their enrollment requirements. All recognized tribes have a blood quantum restriction, family registration restriction, or both. Some Indian fathers have not claimed their birth children, and some tribes may not register children of unmarried unions. Many adult adoptees don't even know what tribe they come from, and the court records are sealed.

The other common reason here in Oklahoma occurs primarily among the Five "Civilized" Tribes; the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole. These tribes were relocated from their original homelands in the southeastern United States to Indian Territory in the early 1800's. By treaty, these new lands in Indian Territory were supposed to be the permanent homes of these tribes. However, the government then forced the dissolution of these Tribal Governments and Nations, and the State of Oklahoma was created in 1907.

Because so many Indians suffered and died during the forced relocations 60 years earlier, some refused to sign government rolls, fearing another death march or Wounded Knee-style massacre (only a few short years earlier). Some people resented & resisted any government control over their lives. Others were rejected from tribal registration because they lived outside the boundaries of their Nation at one time. But the majority of unregistered Indians today descend from Indians who simply went their own way, often marrying non-Indians and settling outside of their Nation. ONLY descendants of those Indians who remained permanent residents of their Nations in Indian Territory until 1907 AND who signed the final rolls are eligible for tribal membership today.

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO THE CUSTOMER?

It depends on your point of view. Some people are serious collectors of Indian Art, and want to buy artwork made by a member of a specific tribe. If that's your intent, then ask for a copy of the artist's tribal registration card before purchasing, or shop at Indian Art Markets that promote their participants as Indian Artists.

Our customers are simply interested in culturally-accurate products which are a good value. Since this is what our customers want, this is what we sell.