Congress should think twice before amending the Indian Arts and Crafts Act to water down protections for Indian artists.

The act, established in 1990, prohibits the marketing of American Indian and Alaskan Native arts and crafts as authentic unless produced by member of a federally or state-recognized tribe. For consumers, the act ensures their purchases are authentic. For artists, it guarantees that cheap, made-in-Taiwan goods can’t be sold as Indian-made. While not perfect, the act helps thousands of artists to make a living. For New Mexico, where Indian art is a part of our history and culture, these protections are important both from an economic and cultural preservation standpoint.

Now, Rep. Nick Rahall, a Democrat from West Virginia, wants to amend the act to allow people who are not enrolled members of a tribe to claim authenticity. His amendment (HR 1066) also allows members of non-profit Indian groups to jump on the “authenticity” bandwagon. The new standard would allow a person who is a direct lineal descendant of anyone listed on the base roll of an Indian tribe to claim he or she is making authentic work — and that’s even if the individual cannot qualify for tribal membership.