What Is the Indian Arts and Crafts Act—and Does It Actually Protect Jewelry Buyers?

Most shoppers assume "Native American jewelry" is just a style description, something anyone can call their work if it looks the part. It isn't. It's a federally regulated claim, backed by real penalties, and understanding it changes how you shop.

What Is the Indian Arts and Crafts Act?

The Indian Arts and Crafts Act (IACA) of 1990 (Public Law 101-644) is enforced by the Indian Arts and Crafts Board, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior. It's a truth-in-advertising law: meaning it doesn't regulate quality or style, it regulates honesty in how a product is marketed.

Under the Act, it's illegal to offer, display, or sell any art or craft product in a way that falsely suggests it was Indian-produced, or the product of a specific Indian or tribe, when it wasn't. Read the Act directly from the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The Act defines "Indian" specifically: a member of a federally or state-recognized tribe, or an individual certified as an Indian artisan by a tribe. That second category matters, it's part of why tribal certifications like TERO exist, which we'll cover in its own article soon.

What Actually Counts as a Violation?

This is the part most people don't know, and it's more specific than "faking being Native":

• Tribal-specific claims matter. It's not enough to be Native, if a piece is marketed as "Navajo jewelry," it has to be made by a member or certified artisan of the Navajo Nation specifically. The same goes for "Cherokee jewelry." A general "Native-made" label doesn't cover a specific tribal claim.
• The law covers display and marketing, not just direct claims. A sign, a booth setup, or a website that implies tribal origin can violate the Act even without an explicit written claim.
• Penalties are real and enforced. A first-time individual violation can mean civil or criminal penalties up to $250,000 and 5 years in prison. Businesses face civil penalties or fines up to $1,000,000.
• Jewelry is specifically named by the IACB as one of the most frequently misrepresented categories, alongside pottery, baskets, and woven rugs.

Can You Tell If Someone Is Native by How They Look?

No,  and this misconception causes real harm, both to buyers trying to shop responsibly and to Native people who don't match a stereotype.

The IACA doesn't define "Indian" by appearance at all. It defines it by tribal citizenship or certification as an Indian artisan by a tribe, full stop. Native people are as physically diverse as any other population, shaped by centuries of the same intermarriage, migration, and family history as everyone else. Assuming you can identify a Native artist by how they look leads shoppers in exactly the wrong direction toward stereotype, and away from the documentation that actually matters.

We have a photo from an event where a copper gorget, designed by the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma in collaboration with Greg, was gifted to the tribe by Chris Stice, Hamilton County Parks and Recreation, as a tribute to ongoing efforts under NAGPRA (the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act).. If you didn't know who was in that photo, you likely wouldn't guess it includes a sitting tribal chief, a Cherokee parks director, and a Cherokee artist standing together.

This is exactly why the law, and we, rely on documentation instead of appearance: tribal enrollment, certification, and direct relationships with artists and tribal nations. Not a guess based on how someone looks.

Why Does This Matter to Jewelry Buyers Specifically?

Because it means you have more standing to ask questions than you might think. The DOI itself advises shoppers to ask vendors—at events, online, anywhere—for written verification of tribal affiliation when it isn't already posted. This isn't rude or distrustful. It's exactly what the federal government tells you to do.

Our Experience: "Native Made" Cards Don't Verify Anything on Their Own

At a market, not a juried art show, just a general market open to any vendor, we watched a seller a few booths down attach small pre-printed "Native Made" cards to a table of earrings. We recognized those earrings immediately—they were mass-produced stock from a wholesale catalog, the same kind of catalog many sellers, including some Native sellers, buy from for supplies. Nothing about them was handmade, and nothing about them was made by that vendor.

The cards themselves are the problem. They're printed and sold as a generic accessory—an earring card that says "Native Made," available to attach to anything, with no verification of who actually made the piece underneath it. A card isn't a certification. 

It mattered that this was a non-juried market. Juried art shows require artists to apply, and often to show their work in progress or provide documentation before they're accepted as vendors—that screening is exactly what catches this kind of thing before it reaches a customer. A general market, open to any vendor who pays a table fee, doesn't have that layer of review. Nobody was checking. That's not a flaw specific to that one event—it's a structural difference between event types that shoppers rarely think about.

We didn't report it or say anything to the vendor directly, but we talked about it with other Native artists at the show and it's a conversation that comes up more than shoppers might expect. It's a good example of exactly what the Indian Arts and Crafts Act is meant to prevent: a claim of Native origin attached to a product, with nothing behind it. A printed card can say anything. It's not documentation, and it's not the same as knowing who made what you're buying.

What Should You Look For When Buying?

• Ask who made it. Not just "is this Native-made," but specifically who, and whether they're available to speak to that.
• Ask about the tribe by name if one is claimed. "Cherokee jewelry" should mean a Cherokee artist made it—not just a Native artist from any tribe.
• Look for certifications, not cards. TERO certification, tribal enrollment, or an Indian Arts and Crafts Board Source Directory listing are real, verifiable documentation. A printed "Native Made" tag is not—anyone can buy and attach one. (We'll break down exactly what TERO certification means and how it's earned in our next article.)
• Notice event names and vendor requirements. "Artisan Market," "Native Market," and general craft fairs aren't interchangeable—ask what the event actually requires of its vendors.
• Ask if an event is juried. Juried shows vet artists before accepting them as vendors; open, non-juried markets typically don't. That doesn't mean every non-juried market has a problem, but it does mean the screening you might assume is happening often isn't.
• When something feels too easy, ask more questions, not fewer. Legitimate makers are usually glad to talk about their process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it illegal to sell "Native-style" jewelry?

No—as long as it isn't marketed as Native-made or as the product of a specific tribe when it isn't. "Native-inspired" or "Native-style," honestly labeled, doesn't violate the IACA.

What's the penalty for violating the Indian Arts and Crafts Act?

For a first-time individual violation, up to $250,000 in fines and/or 5 years in prison. Businesses can face civil penalties or fines up to $1,000,000.

Do Native American artists have to "look" a certain way?

No. The Indian Arts and Crafts Act defines "Indian" by tribal citizenship or artisan certification—not appearance. Native people, like any population, vary widely in how they look.

Does being Native automatically mean an item is legally "Indian-made"?

Under the Act, yes in terms of the maker's status—but a tribal-specific claim (like "Cherokee jewelry") requires the maker to belong to or be certified by that specific tribe, not just be Native generally.

How do I report suspected fake Native American jewelry?

The Indian Arts and Crafts Board accepts complaints directly. Their reporting page is here.

Does Cherokee Copper comply with the Indian Arts and Crafts Act?

Yes. Greg, Joshua, and Moriah Stice are TERO-certified Cherokee artists, and every piece is designed and made by our family in our Oklahoma studio.

Why This Matters to Our Family

We didn't need a law to tell us to be honest about who makes our jewelry—but we're glad one exists, because it means the trust we're asking you to place in us isn't just our word. It's backed by federal protections, and by documentation we're happy to show you. When you buy directly from Cherokee artists, you're not just buying something that looks Native—you know who made it, where it came from, and whose story you're supporting.