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Subcommittee hears testimony on Artist Act to protect Alaska Native ivory art
Summary
Witnesses and Alaska Native leaders urged the subcommittee to pass the Artist Act to clarify Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) treatment of authentic Alaska Native handicrafts; NOAA and members raised questions about statutory definitions and how the bill interacts with state ivory bans. No vote was taken.
The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries held a legislative hearing on a measure known as the Artist Act (HR 5694) intended to protect the sale and possession of authentic Alaska Native art made from marine-mammal materials.
Chief Megan Anders of the King Island Native Community, who traveled from Alaska to testify, said carving and handicraft production are central to village economies and cultural transmission. "This bill is about our native way of life," Anders said, adding that sales of carvings…
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