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Two downtown Seattle businesses agreed to pay $20,000 each to settle Federal Trade Commission allegations that they have sold thousands of fake Native American carvings to retail stores and customers since 1990.

In a complaint filed with the settlement, the FTC said, the owner of Ivory Jack's, and the owner of Northwest Tribal Art, misrepresented high-priced soapstone carvings of animals, masks and other objects as Native American-made.

Other non-Native Americans who worked for NW Tribal Art, allegedly carved the artwork, signing it with Eskimo or Eskimo-sounding names. "They are fine carvings, there's no question about that," said Chuck Harwood, regional director of the FTC. "The point is they were being sold as carved by Native Americans and they were not."

Carvings crafted by Native Americans cost 30 percent to 50 percent less than those made by non-Native Americans, Harwood said. The complaint said the defendants sold some carvings for $4,000 or more, though the most popular items cost between $250 to $500.

Many of the items were signed with 'pseudonyms', the complaint alleged. The complaint also alleged, that the two shops sold the carvings to retail shop owners in Washington and Alaska.

The consent requires the defendants to verify that artwork they buy from suppliers is authentic. They are also required to label artwork worth more than $100 and advise customers they can no longer sell the work of non-Natives as Native American made.

Comments: Does anyone out there know of any similar situations? Especially at pow-wows or related gatherings? If so would you send it to the e-mail address above and also if you have specific comments about related articles and/or the 1990 AMERICAN INDIAN ARTS AND CRAFTS LAW.

THANK YOU,

Tiokasin Veaux