News Release

National Park Service Hosts Discussion with Indian Arts and Crafts Board

Date: April 20, 2021

On March 26, 2021, the WASO Commercial Services Program hosted a discussion among the Department of the Interior Indian Arts and Craft Board (IACB), National Park Service concessioners, and cooperating association representatives to share challenges, lessons learned, and resources available to support the purchase and sale of American Indian and Alaska Native (Indian) Handicrafts in retail stores run by the National Park Service concessioners and cooperating associations. Major topics included how the Indian Arts and Crafts Act and Biden’s new Made in America Executive Order (EO 14005) help preserve the authenticity and promote the sale of Native American and Alaska Native handicrafts; the sourcing challenges presented by the insufficient skillsets and experience of buyers who must rely on traders rather than purchasing directly from artisans; and the need for greater collaboration between concessioners and cooperating associations to provide sufficient cultural context for the Indian handicrafts offered at national parks.

During the discussion, consensus was reached that a talent development strategy should be devised for teaching buyers the skills necessary to purchase directly from tribes, including vetting the authenticity and quality of products. The group also agreed that training in Indian arts and craft work procurement for other stakeholders involved in the process could be valuable, as their support and engagement would help parks strengthen their relationship with tribes and bolster their Indian handicraft offerings. Native American Affairs Liaison Dorothy FireCloud urged parks and concessioners to be open to creative strategies for working directly with tribes, such as bringing artisans to parks, creating a dedicated space for them, and sending shop staff to local reservations. The IACB expressed that it is happy to serve as a resource for connecting parks and concessioners with Indian artisans. It offers brochures and hosts virtual content on its website, including a source directory at the following URL: www.doi.gov/iacb/source-directory.

The Commercial Services Program plans to facilitate future quarterly Best Practices/Update meetings (beginning with virtual sessions) and is considering including Indian artisans in future sessions to understand their perspectives.