ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Examples of IACB activities that promote Native 

American economic development include:

• an online Source Directory of American Indian 

and Alaska Native Owned and Operated 

Arts and Crafts Businesses that serves as a 

marketing link between consumers and a wide 

spectrum of Native American arts and crafts 

enterprises located nationwide;

• seminars in Indian country for Native 

American artists and artisans regarding the 

Act, effective marketing techniques, and 

intellectual property rights protections;

• informational brochures and related materials 

on the Act and contemporary Indian art and 

craftwork; and

• media campaigns to raise the visibility, 

appreciation, and demand for authentic Indian 

art and craftwork.

The IACB’s activities are not duplicated in either 

the federal or private sector. The IACB’s policies 

are determined by the Board of Commissioners, 

who are appointed by the Secretary of the Interior 

and serve without compensation. The IACB has an 

experienced and professional staff to carry out its 

responsibilities.

For additional information concerning 

contemporary Native American art and

craftwork, IACB activities, as well as to

obtain information on the Act, please contact:

U.S. Department of the Interior

Indian Arts and Crafts Board 

1849 C Street, NW, MS 2528-MIB

Washington, DC 20240

Tel: 1-202-208-3773

Toll Free: 1-888-ART-FAKE

Fax 1-202-208-5196

Email: iacb@ios.doi.gov

Web: www.iacb.doi.gov

U.S. Department of the Interior

Wilson Oozeva, St. Lawrence Island, Yupik, Walrus, © 1982

Sherman Chaddlesone, Kiowa, Some Kiowas I’ve 

Seen in a Gourd Dance Dream, © 1981

The Indian Arts and 

Crafts Board

Darrell Norman, Blackfeet, Four Drummers, © 2011
MISSION AND ACTIVITIES

The Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB) was 

created by Congress in 1935 to promote 

American Indian and Alaska Native economic 

development through the expansion of the Indian 

arts and crafts market. In support of this mission, 

the IACB:

• implements the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 

1990, P.L. 101-644, as amended by the Indian 

Arts and Crafts Enforcement Act of 2000, 

P.L. 106-497, and the Indian Arts and Crafts 

Amendments Act of 2010, P.L. 111-211;

• increases the participation of Native Americans 

in the growing Native American fine arts and 

crafts industry; 

• runs an economic development program 

through educational seminars, special museum 

exhibits, and other promotional endeavors; and

• conducts consumer outreach through 

publications, Indian art and craft markets, and 

targeted media campaigns. 

INDIAN ARTS AND CRAFTS ACT

A top priority of the IACB is the implementation 

and enforcement of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act 

(Act). The Act is 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 Act protects Native American artists and 

craftspeople, businesses, and Tribes, as well as 

consumers. It also protects the integrity of Native 

American cultural heritage and the economic selfreliance of Tribes and their members.

 

Additionally, the IACB works with many federal 

and State agencies to enforce the Act. These 

collaborations significantly strengthen the IACB’s 

ability to successfully address counterfeit Indian 

art and craftwork. These counterfeits undermine 

the market for authentic Indian art and craftwork 

and severely undercut Indian economies, selfdetermination, cultural 

heritage, and the future 

of an original American 

treasure – Indian art and 

craftwork.

MUSEUMS

As part of its mission to promote contemporary 

Indian art and craftwork, the IACB operates three 

regional museums: the Sioux Indian Museum 

in Rapid City, South Dakota; the Museum of the 

Plains Indian in Browning, Montana; and the 

Southern Plains Indian Museum in Anadarko, 

Oklahoma. These museums play a vital role in 

promoting authentic Indian art and craftwork 

through their permanent exhibitions and 

changing promotional sales exhibitions. Each 

museum presents approximately 4 one-person 

sales exhibitions and coordinates group sales 

exhibitions of outstanding contemporary Native 

American art and craftwork each year.

The IACB’s three museums are integral to their 

surrounding communities. Each museum provides 

a unique perspective on Native American art and 

craftwork and serves as a conduit between visitors 

and regional Tribes through public outreach and 

educational activities. 

Laverna Standing Capes, Kiowa-Wichita, 

Oklahoma Indian Arts and Crafts Cooperative, © 2011

George Benally, 

Navajo, 

Helping Hand, 

© 1988

Indian Arts and Crafts Board, Southern Plains Indian Museum, © 2011