The Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 is a U.S. federal truth-in-advertising law. It makes it illegal to sell any art or craft in a way that falsely suggests it was made by a Native American, an enrolled tribal member, or a particular tribe. It protects both Native artisans and buyers from imitations sold as the real thing.
The Act exists because misrepresented and counterfeit goods cause real harm. The U.S. Department of the Interior's Indian Arts and Crafts Board estimates that fakes cost Native artisans roughly a billion dollars in lost revenue each year. The 1990 law strengthened earlier protections — the Indian Arts and Crafts Board itself was created in 1935 — by adding civil and criminal penalties for misrepresentation.
In practice, the law governs how a piece can be described. It is legal to sell jewelry made overseas; it is not legal to sell it as "Navajo made" or "authentic Native American" if it is not. This is why wording matters so much when you shop. Phrases like "Native American style," "Southwest inspired," or "Navajo design" are lawful descriptions of imitations — the "style" and "inspired" language is doing deliberate work.
By contrast, a representation that a piece was "made by a Navajo (Diné) silversmith" is a factual claim the seller is legally accountable for. A reputable dealer can back such a claim with the artist's name, tribal affiliation, and a Certificate of Authenticity.
For buyers, the Act is a useful lens: read the exact words of a listing. If a seller relies on style language and cannot name a maker or nation, treat the piece as an imitation regardless of how it looks. If a seller names the artist and tribe and guarantees authenticity in writing, the law gives that claim teeth.
Membership in the Indian Arts and Crafts Association (IACA), founded in 1974, is an additional signal that a dealer is committed to authentic, properly represented Native American art.