Is it real or fake?
Officials hope investigation puts dent
in counterfeit trade

Council for Indigenous Arts and Culture President Tony Eriacho, right, shows Rod Adair the difference between authentic and fake Native jewelry at Eriacho's booth at the McKinley County Courthouse Monday, August 11. Eriacho spoke to the Indian Affairs Committee Monday about the problem of fraudulent Native jewelry and crafts on the local market. [photo by Cable Hoover / Independent]

By Philip Stake
Staff writer

GALLUP — Members of New Mexico’s state Legislature took notice Monday of a counterfeit-goods trade all too familiar to local artisans and threatening to undermine the tourist-draw for which this area is famous.

The Indian Affairs Committee, a joint subcommittee comprised of state senators and district representatives — including McKinley County’s own Rep. Patricia Lundstrom, D-Gallup, — convened here this week, in part to hear the presentation of Tony Eriacho, president of the Council for Indigenous Arts and Culture based in Zuni.

Eriacho has been attending vendor projects throughout New Mexico and Arizona, exhibiting a “Consumer Education Fake and Fraud” display in an effort to spread the word to consumers about counterfeit “Native Made” goods such as jewelry, pottery, drums and baskets.

He pinpointed a loophole in American customs that allows plastic decoys made in distant locales such as Japan and the Philippines to penetrate the market and make their way on to the shelves of local traders.

A piece of jewelry, for example, may be sold as “Hopi-style,” even though its stones are made of plastic and its “crafter” is a machine located half-way around the world.

U.S. Customs regulations require that imported goods be marked. But the country of origin may be placed on a peel-off sticker or an easily-severed string and tag, allowing dishonest businessmen and women to dupe unquestioning consumers.

The use of easily removed country-of-origin labels is one thing Eriacho would like to see remedied.

“Point of origin is very important,” Eriacho said. “Look for a stamp on the back.”

He went on to explain to the committee the difference between “handmade” and “handcrafted” goods. If an item is said to be handmade by a Native, then its components and its construction took place in the hands of a Native. Handcrafted goods, however, may use imported, counterfeit components such as plastic engineered to look like turquoise, which are later assembled by a Native. He said when nine such counterfeit stones were placed in front of six geologists, the best of them could discern only four of the fakes.

Eriacho said he would like to see this information made more readily available to consumers.

“You have every right to know exactly what you’re buying,” Eriacho said.

His Consumer Education Fake and Fraud display includes many other tidbits to assist the shrewd consumer, including a side-by-side comparison of authentic Native-made items and imported look-alikes, a sample chart showing premade components used in “Handcrafted” goods, and a consumer tips brochure developed with the New Mexico Department of Indian Tourism, which includes a list of safe places to buy authentic Native art.

By presenting this information to legislators — the people responsible for setting policies in New Mexico — Eriacho said he hopes to see plans enacted that will raise awareness. For example, by duplicating the information contained in his display and making it available at visitors centers and stores that allege to sell Native-made goods.
“We need to make sure that people who come to experience authentic Indian culture get what they came for,” Eriacho said.

Information: Council for Indigenous Arts and Culture, (505) 350-7867.