How to Buy Authentic Native American Products

Shopping is often a cornerstone of many vacations, and travelers often shop for items that reflect the distinctiveness of the destination they are visiting. In fact, the Travel Industry Association (TIA) reports shopping is the top activity by far for travelers, easily surpassing outdoor activities and attending family events.

For some destinations – like Canyon de Chelly National Monument on the Navajo Reservation in Northeastern Arizona – finding an item that reflects the destination is simple; finding the perfect item, however, is daunting.

“When authenticity is valued but specific knowledge of products is limited, travelers can often feel a little lost,” said Mary Jones, owner and operator of the Thunderbird Lodge in Canyon de Chelly National Monument in Chinle, Ariz. “Although casual shoppers are usually fine with purchasing one of the many good-quality but mass-produced items with a Native American look, truly discriminating shoppers looking for something authentic or one-of-a-kind should be more careful and selective. Fortunately, though, those shoppers o not also have to be experts to find a classic Native American piece.”

Prior to buying the Thunderbird Lodge several years ago, Jones was a licensed Native American Trader in Gallup, N.M. With an expertise in the Hopi, Zuni and Navajo wholesale arts and crafts market, she helps the Thunderbird Lodge staff ensure that items in the Thunderbird Lodge gift shop are authentic.

Jones offered tips for those purchasing Native American arts and crafts, stressing that it is impossible for the general public to definitively determine authenticity. Instead, it is easier to determine if an item has been mass-produced.

The first suggestion is to look for tags or stamps that say “Indian Hand-Made” or “Indian Style.” “Indian Style” indicates a mass-produced item that was not necessarily crafted by an American Indian. “Indian Hand-Made,” on the other hand, can be either mass- produced or individually hand-made by American Indians.

Jones’s second tip is to simply ask a lot of questions. Ask who made an item, what tribe the artist is from and what kinds of materials were used. Silver items, for example, should be made of sterling silver. Turquoise is not always the real thing: it can be made of plastic or “stabilized” with dye to change its color.

In the Chinle area, weavers, wool suppliers and retailers comprise a tight community, according to Jones, and the staff at the Thunderbird Lodge gift shop knows all of the players. “It is pretty tough to fool us,” she said.

Because authentic Navajo rugs are expensive and the result of many weeks or months of work, it is important that buyers receive assurance. “We offer a 100 percent guarantee that our rugs are authentic and come from Navajo artists,” said Jones. “Yes, rugs are expensive, but people who come here to purchase them are looking for something they will treasure and will pass down to their heirs.”

Information Courtesy: Thunderbird Lodge and Mesereau Public Relations.