The Indian Arts and Crafts Act (IACA) prohibits misrepresentation in the marketing of Indian art and craft products within the United States. It is illegal to offer or display for sale, or sell, any art or craft product 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. The Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACBD) was established by Congress to promote the economic development of federally recognized American Indians and Alaska Natives (Indians) through the expansion of the Indian arts and crafts market. The IACB is the only federal agency that is consistently and exclusively concerned with the economic benefits and cultural development of federally recognized Indians. This webinar will cover the IACA and the work of the IACB. The webinar will also feature an IACA case recently prosecuted in the District of Alaska. According to court documents, defendant Losi conspired with the owners of Alaska Stone Arts LLC and Rail Creek LLC, stores located in Ketchikan, to sell items falsely represented to be authentic Alaska Native art. Losi was employed as a salesperson for Alaska Stone Arts LLC, which primarily sold stone carvings. Rail Creek LLC primarily sold wood totem poles. The investigation revealed that the carvings and totem poles sold in both stores were sourced from Rodrigo Creative Crafts, a company owned by Glenda Rodrigo and located in the Philippines. The company used Filipino labor to produce the artwork before shipping them to the Rodrigo’s stores in Alaska, where they were sold as authentic Alaska Native art.

This training is available to all interested parties. There is no charge to attend this training, and CLE will not be available.

This training is a joint effort hosted by federal law enforcement agencies responding to violent crime in Indian Country. Sponsoring agencies include the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Indian Country Training Initiative, the United States Indian Police Academy, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Department of the Interior’s Office of Law Enforcement and Security’s Victim Assistance Program.

If you have any questions, please contact Lamesha Bowman at Lamesha.Bowman@usdoj.gov or Deborah Thomas at Deborah.Thomas@usdoj.gov.