[Quigley]

A few years ago I was in Sallisaw, Oklahoma and I stopped at a place called “The Indian Store”. They had a lot of neat indian merchandise. I spotted a 6 inch tall ceramic indian chief in full headress and I knew I just had to buy it for my son since he was into stuff like that. The store was really neat with a lot of leather goods and figurines galore. When I went to purchase the Indian Chief I ask the beautiful young Cherokee girl behind the counter if they really made that item and she assured me they did. I left the store with my $25.00 indian and I was very happy because I knew my son would be thrilled with it. After arriving back home I noticed that the chief had a sticker on the bottom that said “ made in China”. I should have looked closer when I bought it but if you can’t trust a pretty indian maiden who can you trust. Indians are hypocrites and half the junk they sell is made in China.

[Osage Orange]

Well....all Indians aren't hypocrites.

I'm part Indian...and I'm pretty fair in my thoughts and beliefs.

So are my kids....and many of my relatives.

FWIW-

[chae]

Nice to see that racism is alive and well on FR. My father was 1/4 Native American, my son’s girlfriend is 1/2 Chippewa and my best friend is 1/2 Chippewa as well. None of them are hypocrites.

[Vigilanteman]

It is possible and even probable that the 6” ceramic figurine which you bought was based on a Cherokee design. I've worked in manufacturing most of my life, more than half of it in Asia (Japan). Some things, such as leather goods, require a fairly low-tech type manufacturing operation. Others, such as ceramic figurines, require a more modest investment. It is not uncommon for tribes to provide the design work and outsource manufacturing to Asia. I helped them do this. The Cherokee are one of the more business savvy tribes in the United States and I've found most of them to be honest.

[elcid1970]

“I ask the beautiful young Cherokee girl behind the counter if they really made that item”

How do you think she got the job? Her looks gave her unimpeachable credibility.

BTW as noted, the design of the statuette may indeed have been authentic if not the place of manufacture.

[Tallguy]

While there are tribal industries on the larger reservations it was pretty unlikely that there was a ceramic operation mass-producing figurines. I’d cut the clerk a break. They may have been hand-painted only.