Indian Arts and Crafts Board
The Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB) is a U.S. government entity established in 1935 to support the development of Indigenous American arts and crafts markets and to combat the issue of counterfeit "Indian-made" products. Its founding aimed to provide economic opportunities for Indigenous artisans while protecting the integrity of their cultural expressions. Over the decades, the IACB has actively worked to create authentic trademarks for Indigenous artworks and facilitated the promotion of various crafts through exhibitions in major venues, including the Golden Gate International Exposition and the Museum of Modern Art.
In addition to its market stimulation efforts, the IACB manages several museums dedicated to Indigenous culture and supports the education and revitalization of traditional crafts among different tribes. With a focus on collaboration with Indigenous leaders, the board has evolved to include a majority of Indigenous representation in its leadership over time. As of the mid-2020s, the IACB continues its mission to promote economic growth for Indigenous peoples through art, maintain a directory of authentic Indigenous craftspeople, and uphold the Indian Arts and Crafts Act, thereby fostering a deeper appreciation for Indigenous culture and artistry.
Indian Arts and Crafts Board
- DATE: Established 1935
- TRIBES AFFECTED: Pantribal
- SIGNIFICANCE: Activities of the IACB from 1935 through 1944 did much to open American and European markets for Indigenous American arts and crafts.
The Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB) was founded by an act of Congress in 1935, explicitly to aid the development of arts and crafts markets and to stem the flow of fake “Indian-made” objects that siphoned off much of the potential income. The goal of stimulating markets has been diligently pursued since then, while efforts to create trademarks for authentic works by Indigenous Americans have waned. In the early 1990s, the board was charged with writing the regulations for the 1990 Indian Arts and Crafts Law. In the mid-2020s, the IACB continued to operate with the mission of promoting economic development for Indigenous Americans through the expansion of the Indigenous arts and crafts market.
John Collier, Commissioner of Indian Affairs from 1933 to 1945, appointed a board with René d’Harnoncourt as general manager (1936-1944) and chairperson after 1943. D’Harnoncourt’s philosophy was that only through personal contact and cooperation with local Indigenous American leaders, background research, and consideration of conditions for each Indigenous group could craftspeople be helped by the board. Work began with a survey of art instruction in government schools. The board then established trademarks for authentic handcrafted Navajo, Pueblo, and Hopi silver products, Navajo wool and rugs, and Alaskan crafts. The board convinced the Great Northern Railway to carry Dakota and Montana Indigenous crafts in its stores and organized production and merchandising groups in Alaska, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Arizona. It set up an experimental laboratory for tanners, weavers, and silversmiths in New Mexico. The best market potential was predicted for objects deemed both high-quality and useful. Three field assistants were hired in 1938—Gladys Tantaquidgeon (Mohegan) to develop crafts among the Sioux, Alice Marriott to revive arts groups and establish cooperatives, research beading, pottery, and leather work among southern Oklahoma nations, and Gwyneth Harrington to revive basketry in southern Arizona groups, particularly the Papago (Tohono O’odham). Of perhaps even greater significance to the mission of the IACB were the exhibits of Indigenous American crafts and working artisans at the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco, which utilized fifteen galleries, and the 1941 show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Traveling exhibits were launched in other US cities and in Europe. During World War II, the board got exemptions from wool and silver rationing for artists and established crafts stores near military bases.
In the 1960s, the IACB assumed the administration of three museums previously under the Bureau of Indian Affairs—the Southern Plains Indian Museum (Anadarko, Oklahoma), the Northern Plains Indian Museum (Browning, Montana), and the Sioux Indian Museum (Rapid City, South Dakota). It also championed and became an adviser to the Institute of American Indian Arts. It began publishing a list of authentic Indigenous craftspeople and businesses, which is updated periodically, and developed a seal to certify an authentic Indigenous American business.
Randolph McCurtain was the first Indigenous American (Choctaw) appointed to the five-person board (1945). In 1994, four of the five positions were occupied by Indigenous Americans. There are staff positions in the Washington office and others involved in operating the museums. In the mid-2020s, the IACB continued to help Indigenous Americans to secure markets for their crafts and art, thereby promoting the economic development of Indigenous peoples. The IABC continued to enforce the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990, operate museums, maintain a business directory, and promote Indigenous culture through art.
Bibliography
Agoyo, Acee. “Indian Arts and Crafts Board Welcomes New Member with Law Enforcement Background.” Indianz.Com, 30 Aug. 2023, indianz.com/News/2023/08/30/indian-arts-and-crafts-board-welcomes-new-member-with-law-enforcement-background. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.
“Indian Arts and Crafts Board: An Introduction.” Native News Online, 1 July 2020, nativenewsonline.net/sponsored-content/indian-arts-and-craft-board-an-introduction. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.
LaRoche, Galen. “Indian Arts and Crafts Board.” U.S. Department of the Interior, www.doi.gov/IACB. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.
"Record Group 435: Indian Arts and Crafts Board." National Archives, 30 Oct. 2024, www.archives.gov/research/native-americans/indian-arts-and-crafts-board. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.