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Tougher penalties sought for fake Indian art |
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Main NEWS Section -
Artistic
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Santa Fe, New Mexico (AP) 8-09
The Indian Arts and Crafts Association wants tougher penalties to protect the authenticity of handmade Indian arts and crafts.
The business and program specialist for the 35-year-old organization, John Chavez, says that under the state Indian Arts and Crafts Sales Act, misrepresentation of Indian arts is not a felony unless the sale is $25,000 or more.
He says on the other hand, New Mexico’s general fraud statute defines a felony as a sale of $500 or more.
Chavez says that during a survey of Santa Fe merchants, some claimed turquoise they were selling came from certain U.S. mines.
But he contends some of the stones were stabilized, treated or otherwise manipulated or were synthetic or from mines in other countries.
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