Yes your right on the money, it a Christian group attempting to gain members and make a profit in the bargain. I doubt that anything they have for sale is authentic and they should be turned in for false representation of Native American art, you may contact--> Ken               We would appreciate any additional information that you may be able to
recall, such as the name of the vendor or the name or address of the flea
market, so that we can make sure that they are aware of the importance of
complying with the Act.  If you have any additional information, or
additional questions, please contact me by email or toll free at
1-888-278-3253.

Sincerely,

Ken Van Wey
Program Support Specialist
Indian Arts and Crafts Board
       

Dec 5, 2009 -- 9:38PM, Maya3 wrote:

It seems to be this organization: www.southwestindian.com/index.cfm

but it doesn't look like they say much about Christianity and missionaries on their website, so I cannot be 100 procent sure, it has the same name though, so it probably is. But the  catalouge that I recieved last week does not have this web adress on it which is a little strange.

 

Maya

I was involved with them in Alaska. No they are not a Christian missionary.

I think it's some sort of ploy you received.

Yes catalogs can be received in the mail that have the name of an organisation on it, but they are not the same, if this mentions missionaries and the organisation Miles said is not missionary then yes, there is a definite problem. I received a catalog once saling NDN artifacts, supposedly treasures found in Arizona, when I tried to  make contact I could not get through, then I looked on the net and found the orginisation listed as the name of the company on the letter and they said they had receivedmany calls, it was a scam. Lots of scams like this going on, lots of people saying they are performing NDN ceremony and you can take part for the low low price of 500 to10.000 dollars. Dont go or you may get cooked like those folks in Arizona.

Taken from their Mission and About Us page:  SWIF is a non-profit, charitable organization that relies solely on private donations.... SWIF assistance is strictly limited to Native Americans - with priority given to the elderly, handicapped, and families with dependent children. Along with the Navajo people, we also serve the Zuni, Hopi, and other pueblo tribes of the area.

Our services include: Substantial school grants and individual tuition assistance, homes for battered women and children, home repair and wood stove installation, Christmas food baskets for needy families, alcohol counseling, and emergency assistance in the areas of food, clothing, heating fuel, and temporary shelter. In addition, a few years ago we launched out Indian Craft Catalog to provide a national outlet for Native Americans to sell their precious handmade goods.... The profits from this catalog go directly back to the Native Americans themselves in the form of our many philanthropic programs.

I've been a customer of theirs for many years. Am pretty certain they are what they say. In recent annual report they listed their administrative expenses at 4%, which is commendable.

I have some new and exiting hair care products I would like to sale to the Catholics, hand me another Brewski