Indian Arts and Crafts Act: Twinkie buster?

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: My opinion is that the Indian Arts and Crafts act is a tool that we can use.  It is neither good or bad.  It all depends on how it's used, for what purpose and with what intentions.  There's an  old labor unions saying that goes: "any tool is a weapon if you hold it right."  I think Indians have got to get together to use this tool to our advantage.  If someone is not recognized as Indian, but is doing good work that doesn't offend people, this shouldn't be a problem.  No one should be complaining.  If people really using the act as a vendetta, that's sad. However, there are thousands and thousands of people who are twisting and perverting Native American culture and spirituality for prestige and profit.  When more non-Indians than Indians are doing this, legitimate Indian artist, thinkers and spiritual leaders are SILENCED!  Our dubious popularity with the New Age has become the vehicle for our extinction.  We need to think about future generations. What will our grandchildren's grandchildren find when they try to discover their Indian heritage?  The way it's going now, Lynn Andrews, Sun Bear Robert Ghost-Wolf and other charlatans will be the ones to define what is Indian to future generations.  The web sites that are the most "successful" on whiteman's terms are the ones who are making the most money lying about Native American Spirituality and promoting a hodge-podge of New Age tarot cards, crystal healing, astrology ... and charging people to make shields, assign them totem animals and charge them for phoney vision quests and sweat lodges that can only damage them spiritually.  Indians need to start thinking about what non-Indians are doing to us.  Look at the controversy over this fake Indian site, www.sweetgrasslodge.org Look at the controversy over it at the Planet Twinkie web site: www.geocities.com/planettwinkie. The white people who exploit our culture are telling lies about us and trying to use the white law against our young people who stand up for their culture!  I believe we need to find ways to turn the tables on them.  If we have a law on the books that might help us, let's use it.

: We need to put aside personal feelings and get together on this!  This isn't a cock-tail party where we make snide comments about people for fun, this is a STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL!  I say, we get together and learn how to use the Indian Arts and Crafts Act to ensure our culture's survival.  I know that if we all start using the good mind, we can do this.

: This is how I see it. 



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