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The Indian Arts and Crafts Board, a separate agency located in the U.S.
Department of the Interior, was created by Congress to promote the economic
development of American Indians and Alaska Natives through the expansion
of the Indian arts and crafts market. A top priority of the Board is the
implementation and enforcement of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990,
a truth-in-advertising law that provides criminal and civil penalties for
marketing products as "Indian-made" when such products are not made by Indians,
as defined by the Act.
The Board's other activities include providing professional business advice,
information on the Act and related marketing issues, fundraising assistance,
and promotional opportunities to Native American artists, craftspeople,
and cultural organizations. As an integral part of its mission to promote
contemporary Indian arts and crafts, the Board operates three regional museums,
the Sioux Indian Museum, the Museum of the Plains Indian, and the Southern
Plains Indian Museum. The Board also produces a consumer directory of approximately
190 Native American owned and operated arts and crafts businesses.
These activities
are not duplicated in either the federal or private sector. The Indian Arts
and Crafts Board is the only federal agency that is consistently and exclusively
concerned with the economic benefits of Native American cultural development.
The Board's policies are determined by five commissioners who are appointed
by the Secretary of the Interior, and serve without compensation. The Board's
activities and programs are carried out by a professional, experienced staff.
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