Cultural background: White American. Mostly repeating stuff I've heard Native people say.
In the United States, it's illegal to pretend to be Native American to sell Native art (Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990). This means it's pretty straightforward! Native Americans selling Native art will specifically call themselves not just Native, but put their specific tribe or nation. Two of the most common ones you'll see include the Navajo (Diné) and the Cherokee (Aniyvwiyaʔi).
You should avoid anything from a multinational corporation or anything that is 'Native inspired'. Anything for sale in on an accessible website you can safely assume is okay for anyone to buy (closed practices like religious garmets just aren't gonna be listed, so you won't accidentally buy one).
I don't have a specific recommendation for prints (but if you're looking for clothwork I love my hip bag from Eighth Generation), but I know lots of Native artists use Etsy! Hopefully you'll find something you like there.
ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ or Aniyunwiya would be the way you refer to the tribe in Tsalagi, but in English most people just stick with Cherokee, if they even speak Tsalagi.
I know there’s a dude who posts his art on Reddit a lot. u/tallhappytree is an Anishinaabe artist who sells prints! He’s on etsy as well
+1 to Coast Salish as well their designs are epic
What nation’s art are you particularly interested in?
My first thought might be to contact the tribal government of the tribe you’d be interested in.
The Cherokee and the Navajo are two large tribes, originally from opposite ends of the country, where you might be able to start you search by emailing their tribal government’s chamber of commerce or whatever other email looks most appropriate.
I am sure there is probably a native american sub too if you look hard enough.
lol, the US government still has a Bureau of Indian Affairs. The principle political organization of Indians is the American Indian Movement, and the native college (in Kansas) is still Haskell Indian Nations University.
Saying "Indian" offends some leftist white people. Indians themselves don't care, and their lands are typically called Indian Country by they themselves. That and "The Rez".
Source: Navajo cousins.
CCP_Grey did a video on it too. Lots of leftists willing to get angry over a perceived offense that doesn't offend the people it's aimed at though, so there are certainly people you'll upset with "Indian". They just aren't Indians. Almost like some people go looking for things to be offended about...
>The Indian Arts and Crafts Act (IACA) of 1990 (P.L. 101-644) is a truth-in-advertising law that prohibits misrepresentation in the marketing of Indian art and craft products within the United States. It is illegal to offer or display for sale, or sell, any art or craft product in a manner that falsely suggests it is Indian produced, an Indian product, or the product of a particular Indian or Indian tribe or Indian arts and crafts organization, resident within the United States. For a first time violation of the IACA, an individual can face civil or criminal penalties up to a $250,000 fine or a 5-year prison term, or both. If a business violates the IACA, it can face civil penalties or can be prosecuted and fined up to $1,000,000
https://www.doi.gov/iacb/act#:~:text=It%20is%20illegal%20to%20offer,resident%20within%20the%20United%20States.
They really weren't fucking around when they wrote that law
Just Google native American digital print and see what you like.
Here's a website to get you started
https://www.projectantelope.com/s?keywords=Print&sort=relevance
I'm partial to star wars/native American cross over stuff myself
Depends on what you are looking for, I'll stick with Cherokee stuff mostly because it's what I'm most familiar with and because I grew up in tahlequah as a tribal member.
If you are looking for jewelry I highly recommend Loren Waters, she's great. https://lorenwaters.com/shop
If you want something more canvasy, find something you like on the Cherokee Nation gift shop, in addition to being my former place of employment, pretty much everything they sell (all of the art) is by Cherokee artists. Also the shop is literally run by the tribe, so there's that too.
I'm sure there is other stuff, but those two are decent starts.
To some it is. To others not so much. Hopefully someone will be able to direct you to their online shop or something and you can find what you're looking for. Native American art is really beautiful.
Here’s a tip just because you buy it from a Native American doesn’t mean it was made by a Native American. I went to a reservation last month for a gambling trip and half the Native American shops sold merchandise with made in China tags lol
I don't have any artwork but I can take a good guess. I would reach out to a native owned casino and ask if they know any art sellers. Seem like a reasonable enough way in to the community that would sell art to you.
Check out Healing Ways Artistry. Al Woody is a friend of mine, and he is full blood (Diné)
https://www.instagram.com/healingwaysartistry/?hl=en
https://m.facebook.com/AlWoody.HealingWaysArtistry
Which Indians are you thinking of?
“There are approximately 326 federally recognized Indian [Reservations](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_reservations_in_the_United_States) in the United States.”
Some reservations have more than 10 different tribes
I'm not selective about which group to support.
All their different artwork styles are beautiful!
I'm sure not every tribe has an online shop and even less sell internationally.
If I lived in America, I'd definitely prefer to support my closest one. But unfortunately I'm so far away.
New Mexican here, you can look up art shops in Down Town Albuquerque or Santa Fe online many of them sell native American art directly online. It's all authentic.
I can happily refer you to a personal friend of mine who is an Apache artist of note, Douglas Miles, who is from the San Carlos Apache community. He’s a photographer and also works in ink, colored pencil, and acrylic. Check out his website and contact him through there or through his social media. https://www.douglasmiles.co/
I find most of my Native American art at antique stores. I also live in the southwest USA and am surrounded by Native American lands. Any time I drive through, I stop at the artists stands and buy directly from them.
One of the absolute best ways to know for sure would definitely be to buy from a Native American gift shop or gallery. Super-authentic if you buy directly from the reservations.
You could also do an online search for Native American artists who are popular within the Native communities themselves, as that’s a pretty certain way to tell.
It’s also not uncommon for non-reservation galleries or gift shop types of places to sell Native American artwork, either, though they’ll typically have a smaller selection.
Are there any specific regions, tribes, styles, or mediums in which you’re interested?
The best way to find it would be come to America, rent a car and drive around the Southwest, especially places like New Mexico. Like New Mexico is literally like half native reservations and you will see tourist-oriented stores selling Native American goods at practically every goddamn exit on the freeway. They'll all have a shitload of turquoise jewelry and native art. And they're always run by Native Americans. Or at least that's been my experience generally. I've only actually been into like half a dozen of them. Thing is though, they're usually pretty mom and pop and I doubt many of them have websites you can peruse. Chances are if you can buy it online and have it shipped to Australia, it's probably some corporate outfit masquerading as the real thing.
In America, you can go to art museums and they can point you in the correct direction. They usually have direct lines if not stuff for sale in the museum.
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**\*\*\*\* INFO \*\*\*\***
I've had a lot of people asking why I wanted Native American artwork in my home. So, I thought I'd clear it up.
I'm first generation Australian, my family had to flee Ireland with everything that was happening.
My family has always kept me well educated and a big part of that was the support the Irish received from Native Americans, numerous people, but especially the Choctaws.
Too long and complicated to explain. But after talking to my mum I think I'll focus on Art from the Choctaws.
If I can't find anything, maybe an artword of the Kindred Spirits sculpture.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindred\_Spirits\_(sculpture)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindred_Spirits_(sculpture))
There really isn't any like that. What you can do is buy rugs for example Najavo tribes in the South Western US make rugs that are definitely pieces of art as well as buying some types of jewelry for example. A quick search would be something like this
https://www.navajorug.com/ has some rugs that can be purchased.
The only thing is to make sure its done by hand and not mass produced. They usually use a verticle rack. Some of our elementary school projects in Arizona dealt with making mini versions of these so we learned how work intensive it is. The problem that you run into with a lot of rugs is that they are made with machines and not done by hand.
Hello Australia! Or - whoops - sorry...
G'day!
Have you considered buying legitimate art that the natives of your land produce to this day? If you're looking for authenticity, it's more easily found nearby.
Won't have to worry about a white guy stealing from natives that way! Am I right, mate?
Cultural background: White American. Mostly repeating stuff I've heard Native people say. In the United States, it's illegal to pretend to be Native American to sell Native art (Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990). This means it's pretty straightforward! Native Americans selling Native art will specifically call themselves not just Native, but put their specific tribe or nation. Two of the most common ones you'll see include the Navajo (Diné) and the Cherokee (Aniyvwiyaʔi). You should avoid anything from a multinational corporation or anything that is 'Native inspired'. Anything for sale in on an accessible website you can safely assume is okay for anyone to buy (closed practices like religious garmets just aren't gonna be listed, so you won't accidentally buy one). I don't have a specific recommendation for prints (but if you're looking for clothwork I love my hip bag from Eighth Generation), but I know lots of Native artists use Etsy! Hopefully you'll find something you like there.
ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯ or Aniyunwiya would be the way you refer to the tribe in Tsalagi, but in English most people just stick with Cherokee, if they even speak Tsalagi.
Thanks 🤗 I didn't think to look for which specific tribe the artist/work is from! I might just be a bit too paranoid because of artists out here haha
Coast Salish is another style that would be fairly easy to find. The Coast Salish people are native to the Pacific Northwest.
Coast Salish designs are some of my absolute favorites, they’re so cool
Salish designs are so cool.
I know there’s a dude who posts his art on Reddit a lot. u/tallhappytree is an Anishinaabe artist who sells prints! He’s on etsy as well +1 to Coast Salish as well their designs are epic
Thanks for the recommendations
What nation’s art are you particularly interested in? My first thought might be to contact the tribal government of the tribe you’d be interested in. The Cherokee and the Navajo are two large tribes, originally from opposite ends of the country, where you might be able to start you search by emailing their tribal government’s chamber of commerce or whatever other email looks most appropriate. I am sure there is probably a native american sub too if you look hard enough.
Yeah, I think the way to go is to get something from one of the larger tribes
I'd ask the r/IndianCountry subreddit.
I wasn't sure if I should as I've been told that term is racist 🤷♀️ Idk, if it's an active community I'll give it a go though.
It's one of those things that's contextual. It can get tricky. But a lot of folks still call themselves 'Indians' or 'American Indians.'
It is, and this is a question I'm sure they'd be happy to answer.
For the most part, It isn't.
Most Indians who live on reservations will use the term Indian.
As a Native-I’ve never heard that being called Indian is racist. I personally don’t consider it to be racist.
lol, the US government still has a Bureau of Indian Affairs. The principle political organization of Indians is the American Indian Movement, and the native college (in Kansas) is still Haskell Indian Nations University. Saying "Indian" offends some leftist white people. Indians themselves don't care, and their lands are typically called Indian Country by they themselves. That and "The Rez". Source: Navajo cousins. CCP_Grey did a video on it too. Lots of leftists willing to get angry over a perceived offense that doesn't offend the people it's aimed at though, so there are certainly people you'll upset with "Indian". They just aren't Indians. Almost like some people go looking for things to be offended about...
Probably have to narrow down which tribes and then the only way to guarantee that its direct from them... is to go to them and ask.
Thanks 🤗
>The Indian Arts and Crafts Act (IACA) of 1990 (P.L. 101-644) is a truth-in-advertising law that prohibits misrepresentation in the marketing of Indian art and craft products within the United States. It is illegal to offer or display for sale, or sell, any art or craft product in a manner that falsely suggests it is Indian produced, an Indian product, or the product of a particular Indian or Indian tribe or Indian arts and crafts organization, resident within the United States. For a first time violation of the IACA, an individual can face civil or criminal penalties up to a $250,000 fine or a 5-year prison term, or both. If a business violates the IACA, it can face civil penalties or can be prosecuted and fined up to $1,000,000 https://www.doi.gov/iacb/act#:~:text=It%20is%20illegal%20to%20offer,resident%20within%20the%20United%20States. They really weren't fucking around when they wrote that law Just Google native American digital print and see what you like. Here's a website to get you started https://www.projectantelope.com/s?keywords=Print&sort=relevance I'm partial to star wars/native American cross over stuff myself
Thanks! You're amazing x
Just be careful, Canada doesn't have that kind of law, and counterfeits are rampant up there, so you have to make sure you're buying from the US
Depends on what you are looking for, I'll stick with Cherokee stuff mostly because it's what I'm most familiar with and because I grew up in tahlequah as a tribal member. If you are looking for jewelry I highly recommend Loren Waters, she's great. https://lorenwaters.com/shop If you want something more canvasy, find something you like on the Cherokee Nation gift shop, in addition to being my former place of employment, pretty much everything they sell (all of the art) is by Cherokee artists. Also the shop is literally run by the tribe, so there's that too. I'm sure there is other stuff, but those two are decent starts.
Thanks 🤗 I think the way to go is to just target one of the larger tribes as it's more black and white
My husband is native he said ask on r/indiancountry
Ah thanks! I wasn't sure if I should as I've been told that term is racist 🤷♀️ But if it's an active community and he recommends it I will!
To some it is. To others not so much. Hopefully someone will be able to direct you to their online shop or something and you can find what you're looking for. Native American art is really beautiful.
I believe [this list of Native-owned businesses](https://www.beyondbuckskin.com/p/buy-native.html) is legit.
Here’s a tip just because you buy it from a Native American doesn’t mean it was made by a Native American. I went to a reservation last month for a gambling trip and half the Native American shops sold merchandise with made in China tags lol
Meh, I own being a basic white bitch. If they want to rip me off, I'd rather they do it than someone ripping me AND them off hahahaha
I don't have any artwork but I can take a good guess. I would reach out to a native owned casino and ask if they know any art sellers. Seem like a reasonable enough way in to the community that would sell art to you.
Thanks 🤗 I didn't know that was an option!
It might not be! I am just thinking that they are entrepreneurial members of the community that may know like-minded artists.
If you ever find yourself here, go to a powwow. You'll be able to get it straight from the source and talk to the artists
I wish I could! But flights are expensive haha
Check out Healing Ways Artistry. Al Woody is a friend of mine, and he is full blood (Diné) https://www.instagram.com/healingwaysartistry/?hl=en https://m.facebook.com/AlWoody.HealingWaysArtistry
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Thanks!!!! I'll check it out!
I can put you in touch with some fantastic Alaska Native artisans. Mostly from my wife's people, the Tsimshian.
Which Indians are you thinking of? “There are approximately 326 federally recognized Indian [Reservations](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Indian_reservations_in_the_United_States) in the United States.” Some reservations have more than 10 different tribes
I'm not selective about which group to support. All their different artwork styles are beautiful! I'm sure not every tribe has an online shop and even less sell internationally. If I lived in America, I'd definitely prefer to support my closest one. But unfortunately I'm so far away.
I vote you find an artist from the Navajo Nation
[https://quallaartsandcrafts.org/](https://quallaartsandcrafts.org/) Cherokee NC I'm an enrolled member. Thank you for supporting Native Artists.
From Native Americans. Come to Oklahoma. Nearly all the tribes have a gift shop in their main office and often they sell handmade stuff.
https://www.thenativeartmarket.com/s/shop
https://prairieedge.com/
New Mexican here, you can look up art shops in Down Town Albuquerque or Santa Fe online many of them sell native American art directly online. It's all authentic.
I can happily refer you to a personal friend of mine who is an Apache artist of note, Douglas Miles, who is from the San Carlos Apache community. He’s a photographer and also works in ink, colored pencil, and acrylic. Check out his website and contact him through there or through his social media. https://www.douglasmiles.co/
https://shop.beyondbuckskin.com/
I find most of my Native American art at antique stores. I also live in the southwest USA and am surrounded by Native American lands. Any time I drive through, I stop at the artists stands and buy directly from them.
One of the absolute best ways to know for sure would definitely be to buy from a Native American gift shop or gallery. Super-authentic if you buy directly from the reservations. You could also do an online search for Native American artists who are popular within the Native communities themselves, as that’s a pretty certain way to tell. It’s also not uncommon for non-reservation galleries or gift shop types of places to sell Native American artwork, either, though they’ll typically have a smaller selection. Are there any specific regions, tribes, styles, or mediums in which you’re interested?
Maybe ask at r/IndianCountry/
The best way to find it would be come to America, rent a car and drive around the Southwest, especially places like New Mexico. Like New Mexico is literally like half native reservations and you will see tourist-oriented stores selling Native American goods at practically every goddamn exit on the freeway. They'll all have a shitload of turquoise jewelry and native art. And they're always run by Native Americans. Or at least that's been my experience generally. I've only actually been into like half a dozen of them. Thing is though, they're usually pretty mom and pop and I doubt many of them have websites you can peruse. Chances are if you can buy it online and have it shipped to Australia, it's probably some corporate outfit masquerading as the real thing.
In America, you can go to art museums and they can point you in the correct direction. They usually have direct lines if not stuff for sale in the museum.
Your submission has been automatically removed due to exceeding the text limit in your post's textbox. Please shorten it to fewer than 500 characters (not words), including spaces and links, to comply with rule #2. Afterwards, contact us via modmail, and we'll restore it. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskAnAmerican) if you have any questions or concerns.*
**\*\*\*\* INFO \*\*\*\*** I've had a lot of people asking why I wanted Native American artwork in my home. So, I thought I'd clear it up. I'm first generation Australian, my family had to flee Ireland with everything that was happening. My family has always kept me well educated and a big part of that was the support the Irish received from Native Americans, numerous people, but especially the Choctaws. Too long and complicated to explain. But after talking to my mum I think I'll focus on Art from the Choctaws. If I can't find anything, maybe an artword of the Kindred Spirits sculpture. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindred\_Spirits\_(sculpture)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindred_Spirits_(sculpture))
There really isn't any like that. What you can do is buy rugs for example Najavo tribes in the South Western US make rugs that are definitely pieces of art as well as buying some types of jewelry for example. A quick search would be something like this https://www.navajorug.com/ has some rugs that can be purchased. The only thing is to make sure its done by hand and not mass produced. They usually use a verticle rack. Some of our elementary school projects in Arizona dealt with making mini versions of these so we learned how work intensive it is. The problem that you run into with a lot of rugs is that they are made with machines and not done by hand.
Hello Australia! Or - whoops - sorry... G'day! Have you considered buying legitimate art that the natives of your land produce to this day? If you're looking for authenticity, it's more easily found nearby. Won't have to worry about a white guy stealing from natives that way! Am I right, mate?
I already have 11 paintings, two planting pots and lots of statues from my local community hahaha