The U.S. Senate passed Senator Dan Sullivan’s Alaska’s Right to Ivory Sales and Tradition (ARTIST) Act on October 8, 2025. The act serves to rectify the damage done to Native American businesses by certain states’ overly broad ban on ivory. These states meant to prohibit African elephant ivory, which is illegal in all of America. However, the laws are written in a way that also bans the buying and selling of marine animal ivory.
Native Alaskans have a long tradition of crafting and selling beautiful artwork and jewelry made from marine animal ivory. According to Nagruk Harcharek, president and CEO of Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat: “This is an important cultural milestone for the North Slope Iñupiat, who have utilized walrus ivory from our traditional subsistence hunting activities as tools, arts, and crafts. Our communities have relied on this natural resource for thousands of years, and we are pleased that this legislative effort seeks to protect our cultural heritage for generations to come.” These ivory masterpieces are sold throughout Alaska, and many tourists buy them as mementos of their once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Last Frontier.
Sen. Sullivan’s bill ensures that these Native Alaskan treasures can be sold anywhere in the United States. Section 2, Paragraph 4 states: “No State shall prohibit the importation, sale, offer for sale, transfer, trade, barter, possession, or possession with the intent to sell, transfer, trade, or barter of marine mammal ivory or marine mammal bone or baleen incorporated under this title by an Indian, Aleut, or Eskimo, into an authentic Alaska Native article of handicrafts and clothing.’’
The bill passed unanimously. Ben Mallott, president of the Alaska Federation of Natives, stated: “The passing of this legislation marks a significant step forward in recognizing and respecting the cultural heritage and livelihoods of Alaska Native artisans.” Director of the Eskimo Walrus Commission, Vera Metcalf added: “The Eskimo Walrus Commission (EWC) strongly supports this bill and thanks Senator Sullivan and his staff for working with us on it… Our use of ivory gives full expression to our traditional relationship with the Pacific walrus and our way-of-life. EWC thanks Congress for passing this bill to ensure the cultural and economic well-being of Alaska Native communities thrive.”
All well and good, I guess. But governmental benefits allocated to one race is racism. Absent people speaking up government will always choose to decide what is racism and what is not, but government is the least qualified and least appropriate decider. Pure and simple.
Everyone is equal, but some are more equal than others.
Sure would be nice for individuals like myself to get special treatment based on where I was born and what blood I have running in my veins.
Gotta love how politics continue to use divisionary tactics to make the rules that apply to some, but not to others.
You wish you grew up in Savoonga?
Almost all gov benefits would be granted to you if you were poor & lived in a village.
Most, but not all, in a village are Native.
As Natives they have “free” medical (granted in U.S. treaties many years ago)
But as a poor person, you would be covered by Medicaid.
Ditto: food assistance …. rental help and utility/heat assistance …. free schooling for the kids etc…
Just stop working & move to where there are no jobs & you will get that special treatment you think you want.
George D.
You make valid points.
Sometimes a conversation is started not from authentic bias or from an honest position, but to spark rebuttal and further the sharing of ideas and excavations of differing perspectives.
Thank you for your input.
No, moving to Savooga and going on SNAP would not qualify anyone for BIA health care and for legal trading in ivory. That is the point. Race-based is racism.
Race based on paper yes.
Move to a village & get close to people (friendships/family) and you would be surprised at the hunting opportunities …. there is no police or Fish & W’life patrolling out there ….. just friends & family.
The stereotype that all villagers are poor has aged poorly. Just ask any of the Brower family.
True that and some of the best carvers make decent $ (off the books?)
Kayak and Animal Farm:
Did you read the article? The bill separates Alaska native art and ivory from the illegal sales of African elephant ivory allowing Alaska native art to survive and allows Alaska native artists to make a living.
Yes but a white person who has a legal piece of ivory still cannot carve and sell it.
Will they start making 1911 grip panels?
This seems like a wild thing to care about during a government shutdown.
? You think we should “put it off” for now?
That’s government thinking ….. imo. (get er done)
Remember, a Constitutional Republic is about protecting the rights of all. Calling “racism” every time you protect a groups heritage and history is un- informed
Legal or not, ivory trade carries the risk of normalizing demand for animal parts, which undermines global conservation efforts.
It’s time for a new creed:
Animal Lives Matter.
Art should never come at the cost of existence.
You want AK Natives to stop taking walrus?
Or do you want them to harvest a walrus, eat the meat & throw the tusk away?
You sound like you went to Obama University.
Sure glad Senator Dan is doing everything he can to actually fix the mess that he and his criminal partners have created with endless wars, destruction of the dollar, and broken elections. Working on projects that are for one group of people sure seems like what we need our senators to be doing. He will be well rewarded in our next “selection”
How are cribbage boards culturally significant?
Westerners (commercial whalers) introduced both cribbage boards & selling carved ivory, it was our idea.
Are you against these Americans (remember we came to them) earning money?
Do you want them only on the dole?
Odd take for a conservative.
In most cases, this art is a result of subsitence using the entire animal.