‘POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE, LIKELY STOLEN’: A Native Nonprofit is Educating Buyers About Indigenous Artifacts that go to Auction. Since last June, there have been more than 70 auctions—both international and domestic—selling potentially sensitive Native American cultural items. The Association on American Indian Affairs is educating buyers to avoid the corrupt and potentially poor investments into what is likely stolen Indigenous art and cultural belongings. The oldest nonprofit serving Indian Country warned potential collectors about an upcoming auction of nearly 400 Indigenous cultural items, at least one of which it believed to be fake, and all of which were likely stolen from Native lands. The Association on American Indian Affairs (AAIA) flagged at least 40 items that will be offered in the “American Indian & Tribal Art” auction as “potentially sensitive items” in an alert sent on March 14th to tribal nations, bands, and community members.
Native American groups blast the New Mexico governor for agency appointment. A coalition of advocates dedicated to stemming the tide of violence and missing persons cases in Indian Country is demanding more transparency from New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, saying there should be greater accountability in the system for vetting state-appointed positions that serve Indigenous communities. About 30 protesters gathered Friday in the state Capitol rotunda to voice concerns about the Democratic governor´s contested pick to head the state´s Indian Affairs Department.
Those are your headlines at this hour. I’m Colette Keith in the KIPI News center.
