Should Native Americans have to sell their artifacts?

Question

Artifacts are a major portion of an American Indian reservation's economy. Annually, thousands of tourists visit reservations and most will not leave without purchasing at least one memento of the traditional Indian culture. 

One enterprising Indian was able to outsell his competitors in the sale of wooden dolls by selling them at only a fraction of the cost others had to charge. On examination of his dolls they found that where traditionally hard wood was used, this Indian would use cheap pine on which he glued thin pieces of fine mahogany, thus being able to produce the dolls at only a fraction of the cost. 

While he claimed his dolls were still authentic, his competitors complained that it was only a cheap Sioux Veneer. (souvenir)

Give me a break · Accepted Answer

Lmao , my  Charm  Ing , 
no they shouldn't have to sell at all ,by the way , pitty there are so few of them left anyway .

Anonymous · Answer

A ball made out of stone? That doesn't sound right...In order for your friend to have any historical cultural data about that it would have to have been based off of records taken by settlers (usually biased) and archaeological finds dating to the late prehistoric era of the Shawnee and Cherokee people. These are usually grouped in the Mississippian tradition, and my knowledge of those cultural games predominantly involve twigs and challenges that revolve around skill and fine motor coordination (similar to those games where you have the tiny ball bearing in the maze and you have to get it into the whole). I do know of one game in which a rock/clay ring was rolled on the ground and children would throw spears at the rolling disk to try to make it through the hole (that's slightly earlier prehistory though). But to my knowledge, I don't know of anything about any games involving solid rocks formed into balls. Unless your friend is an expert in paleolithic archaeology or Ohio Valley Prehistory...I would guess that you just found an odd rock formation and your friend is not really serious. I can give you the name of a professor though at the University of Kentucky who could give you more information if you wanted...but I seriously don't think its anything.

grouch2111 · Answer

sioux veneer, excellent. while these things aren't exactly artifacts, why not sell them, although they should not undermine each others prices. Simply start ripping off everyone, like all other industries in our country, it's the American way!

Anonymous · Answer

Should they choose to,  then fine.  However , if they wish to sell independently then they should be allowed to.  They were there before the Brits.Spanish. Presidents Bush, Nixon Eisenhower ........... and all the boring USA leaders ................ blah, blah etc

Give me the natives any day

xx

icemaster1500 · Answer

so what were the wooden dolls for? what did it matter he was using cheaper wood?

i don't have any artifacts to sell , but u can have my old socks though

Anonymous · Answer

Yep

SteveC

dkapero · Answer

Would be amusing if you would remove the last word. It's like saying to a person: 'Get it? Do you get it?"

Cool H · Answer

No, but they have to make a living too.

Anonymous · Answer

If it's making them money, what's the problem?

Leo · Answer

I dont know

Trending News

Should Native Americans have to sell their artifacts?

14 Answers