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STATEMENT OF SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN ON THE INDIAN ARTS AND CRAFTS ACT AMENDMENTS
May 1, 2007
Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I am pleased to be joined by my colleagues Senator Thomas, Senator Kyl, and Senator Domenici in introducing a bill to amend the Indian Arts and Crafts Act. This legislation would improve federal laws that protect the integrity and originality of Native American arts and crafts.
The Indian Arts and Crafts Act prohibits the misrepresentation in marketing of Indian arts and crafts products, and makes it illegal to display or sell works in a manner that falsely suggests it’s the product of an individual Indian or Indian Tribe. Unfortunately, the law is written so that only the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), acting on behalf of the Attorney General, can investigate and make arrests in cases of suspected Indian art counte
A major source of tribal and individual Indian income is derived from the sale of handmade Indian arts and crafts. Yet, millions of dollars are diverted each year from these original artists and Indian tribes by those who reproduce and sell counte
I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
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