Two charged with selling fake Native American crafts at art market

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HFS

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Another federal law I never heard of -

Two Washington state artists have been being charged with pretending to be Native American carvers to sell works at downtown Seattle galleries.
Lewis Anthony Rath, 52, and Jerry Chris Van Dyke, 67, were charged separately by the feds with violating the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, which prohibits misrepresentation in the selling of American Indian or Alaska Native arts and crafts, authorities said Friday.
...Matthew Steinbrueck, owner of Raven’s Nest Treasure, told investigators the artists insisted they were tribal members and that he believed them, according to court filings. He said he had no clue they were selling counterfeit Indian products.
...[He told the Associated Press on Friday] "We’ve had more than 100 authentic Native artists. I’ve always just taken their word for it.”
https://nypost.com/2021/12/11/lewis...charged-with-faking-native-american-heritage/
 

El Pablo

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Another federal law I never heard of -

Two Washington state artists have been being charged with pretending to be Native American carvers to sell works at downtown Seattle galleries.
Lewis Anthony Rath, 52, and Jerry Chris Van Dyke, 67, were charged separately by the feds with violating the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, which prohibits misrepresentation in the selling of American Indian or Alaska Native arts and crafts, authorities said Friday.
...Matthew Steinbrueck, owner of Raven’s Nest Treasure, told investigators the artists insisted they were tribal members and that he believed them, according to court filings. He said he had no clue they were selling counterfeit Indian products.
...[He told the Associated Press on Friday] "We’ve had more than 100 authentic Native artists. I’ve always just taken their word for it.”
https://nypost.com/2021/12/11/lewis...charged-with-faking-native-american-heritage/
Something tells me there are more laws we have not heard of than have heard of. I’ve not heard of that one either.
 

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You should in no way get jail time for selling indian looking art or crafts. Everyone expects it to be made in china unless you buy it at a reservation anyway. I mean, how many times have we bought indian or turquoise items from the Loves country stores as we're driving through a state? Dumb law.

However, telling cops (not regular folks) that you're a card carrying Indian should definitely be a crime. Like telling them the wrong name or driver's license number.
 

El Pablo

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You should in no way get jail time for selling indian looking art or crafts. Everyone expects it to be made in china unless you buy it at a reservation anyway. I mean, how many times have we bought indian or turquoise items from the Loves country stores as we're driving through a state? Dumb law.

However, telling cops (not regular folks) that you're a card carrying Indian should definitely be a crime. Like telling them the wrong name or driver's license number.
They weren’t, they were charged with claiming they were real. They could have just advertised as Native inspired.

I don’t often want fakes, but when I do, I just shop on Amazon. They have a massive counterfeit problem.
 

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