A Las Vegas man, Jose Skywolf Martinez, 61, appeared in court on Tuesday after being indicted for allegedly selling goods falsely claimed to be Native American-made. The indictment accuses Martinez of violating the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 by misrepresenting products as authentic Indian art from December 2023 to December 2024.
The federal grand jury’s charges against Martinez were announced by United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada, along with Douglas Ault from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Meridith Stanton from the Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB). Magistrate Judge Elayna J. Youchah has scheduled a jury trial for September 8, 2025.
Meridith Stanton stated that the IACB enforces the Indian Arts and Crafts Act to eliminate fakes in the marketplace, protecting both consumers and Native American artists’ economic interests. “Authentic Indian art and craftwork is an important tool for passing down cultural traditions,” she noted, emphasizing that counterfeit sales harm Native economies and traditions.
The law prohibits marketing non-Indian products as “Indian made” to protect genuine Native American arts since 1935. Violators like Martinez face up to five years in prison or a $250,000 fine if convicted.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Skyler Pearson handling prosecution. It’s important to note that an indictment is merely an allegation; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
