Where and Where Not to Find Native American Art Collectibles

People have been collecting Native American art of one kind or another for hundreds of years. At first such things were not even really considered art, but rather souvenirs that were taken from Native peoples because the United States government, and corrupt Indian agents, as well as others, did not want Native peoples practicing their religion, or in some cases just because it was one more way to torment Native peoples by taking away their sacred objects.

As time moved forward into the twentieth century, another practice began taking place, although this did occur before the twentieth century of course, that of non-Indians desecrating Indian burial grounds looking for art collectibles. In this case, pottery, Indian bones, baskets, arrowheads, leather goods with beadwork and or quillwork, pipes and many other items that were considered sacred to Native Americans were dug up and sold, or kept as part of collections. Even common items such as baskets, some leather goods or pottery once it was interred in a grave were considered to be sacred, and it was unthinkable to dig such things up. However, non-Indians in their either misguided efforts to understand the history of Native Americans, or in an effort to make money, or gain some sort of admiration from others who collected such things began digging into burial grounds. It has only been in the latter part of the twentieth century that laws were put into place making digging up Indian burial grounds illegal.

Unfortunately, some of these items are still in the hands of non-Indians, though in some cases well meaning if misguided ones such as the Smithsonian. Although to their credit they have begun returning some of the human remains that have been interred in their museum for decades.

This brings me to my next point of where not to find Native American collectibles. Obviously you don't want to be digging up any graves, and if you accidentally find one, you should call your local authorities immediately. As mentioned before, one of the biggest problems with Native American collectibles is that there are still a lot of items from burial grounds, or which were illegally confiscated or obtained from Native Americans floating around. So, some places that I really strongly urge people not to look for Native American collectibles are auctions. I had the misfortune once to attend an auction that had nothing but Native American collectibles from the estate of a wealthy woman who had passed on with heirs. The only problem was that many of the items because of their age, were clearly items from burials or which had somehow fallen into the wrong hands. One item that was there was someone's scalp, which believe me if you're smart you don't want something like that as a collectible, and yet people in their ignorance were bidding on it. To someone like myself who is Native American, it is bad luck to even touch such a thing, let alone have it in your home.

Be wary of private collectors, estate sales, and even antiques shops. While you may think that if someone is or was a private collector they are probably going to have some good and authentic items, and or be an expert, you run the risk of purchasing items that may have been illegally confiscated, or obtained. People were still digging into Indian burial grounds as late as 1990 when the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act was finally enacted. While you will most likely not be blamed if it does turn out that an item was illegally obtained that you have purchased after 1990, you really don't want the legal hassle, it's not worth it.

So, I'll bet you're wondering where you can go to find Native American collectibles. Well, my first piece of advice is to collect modern Native American artwork There are more than enough Native American artists creating beautiful pieces of artwork, many times in the exact same ways their ancestors did. So, whatever you might purchase that is modern is still going to look every bit as good as anything you might purchase that is a hundred years or older.

One of the best places to purchase Native American Collectibles is at powwows. Most areas of the United States have powwows, so if you look online for your area you should be able to locate one. Spring, and Summer are the best times to look for powwows, as these are when you are most likely to discover one in your area, although there may be a few smaller ones in the Fall and Winter months. Either way, you will find everything from beadwork, to actual paintings at a powwow. It is one of the all time best ways to find authentic Native American collectibles. You will also be more likely to find something in just about any price range.

Another good place to find Native American collectibles are on or near Indian reservations. Most reservations have museums that have gift shops that cater to those looking for souvenirs, but you will also find some collectibles as well. Another place to look on a reservation for Native American collectibles is the gift shop in any casino that is run by whoever the local tribe is. Both of these will probably have beadwork, leather goods and other items by local Native American artists.

The final place to find Native American collectibles would be art galleries specializing in Native American art. Unfortunately, most of these items are going to be outside the pocketbook of us everyday folks, but if you have the means, this can be a great way to get your hands on Native American art. The art tends to be very high quality, one of a kind items, and for those who have the means, it is a great way to obtain Native American collectibles.

For the most part this information is common sense, but it is always a good idea to know exactly where your collectibles come from, for both reasons of legality, and respect towards Native peoples.