Letter to Josh Bolton, Office of Management and Budget Director - Indian Museum Funding

Letter

Montana's Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today announced victory with President Bush's decision to increase funding for the Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB), which includes the Plains Indian Museum in Browning. Operated by the U.S. Department of the Interior, the funding for the museum in the President's 2007 budget is set at $1.16 million. Last year in his 2006 budget proposal, the President requested funding for $1 million, which Congress increased to $1.14 million. Rehberg's coalition pressed hard for the President to include funding for the IACB museums. The Museum of the Plains Indian in Browning attracts over 15,000 tourists annually and houses a collection of over 1,500 local Blackfeet artifacts.

"We not only convinced the president to abandon his plan to curtail funding in 2007, and we even managed to secure an increase in funding. This is a victory for the Plains Indian Museum and for all Montanans," said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. "Not only did the Smithsonian Institute support our efforts, but also the President by including an increase of funding for the museums. This shows the power of bipartisan teamwork and a united front - both locally and nationally - to save these precious museums from being forced to close."

Rehberg secured a commitment last year for funding for the museums through 2006. However, reports arose last year that the Bush Administration planned to curtail federal funding for the museums would begin in 2007 arose during budget justifications last spring.

Rehberg formed a coalition, which includes Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD), Representative Tom Cole (R-OK), Representative Frank Lucas (R-OK), and Representative Stephanie Herseth (D-SD). The lawmakers urged the Office of Management and Budget on January 12, 2006, in a letter to continue funding for the museums.

The Smithsonian Institute contacted Rehberg last week stating their support for his coalition to fight the federal plans to phase out funding for the Museum of the Plains Indian in Browning, Montana, the Sioux Indian Museum in Rapid City, South Dakota, and the Southern Plains Indian Museum in Anadarko, Oklahoma. The role of the three museums is to properly house Native American artifacts and to enforce the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990, which helps Indian artists and craftsmen protect the authenticity of their art from counterfeit replicas.

"You know, these museums are a part of the fabric of Montana's culture," Rehberg said. "The treasures they house don't belong on display in a Smithsonian Museum on the National Mall in D.C., and I'm pleased the President realized how important these museums are to the communities and cultures they serve."

Rehberg Coalition Letter Below:

January 12, 2006

The Honorable Josh Bolton

Director

Office of Management and Budget

Washington, DC 20503

Dear Director Bolton,

We are writing to express our concern with the federal funding of the three Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB) museums of the Department of the Interior. Although we understand that the Budget Office has no intention of closing the museums in 2006, The Museum of the Plains Indian in Browning, Montana, The Sioux Indian Museum in Rapid City, South Dakota, and The Southern Plains Indian Museum in Anadarko, Oklahoma, are threatened with closure in fiscal year 2007 if these museums are not properly funded. We strongly support these museums and will vigorously oppose any attempts to undermine their important mission.

The museums promote Native American art through the housing and preservation of valuable Native American historical artifacts that are centuries old. The IACB's additional responsibility is to enforce the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990, which was created to protect Indian arts, crafts and culture from an increase in sales of counterfeit Indian arts and crafts. The IACB currently has a budget of $1.1 million. It costs only $400,000 to run all three museums. The IACB believes that it does not receive proper funding to fulfill its obligation to the museums' legacy and to continue to enforce the Act to restrain counterfeit Indian artistry and craftsmanship. However, we believe the IACB's mission of promoting Native American art through the operation of these museums should not be abandoned.

The Indian art and collections at each of the three museums are very unique and rare. An array of historical artifacts, tools, jewelry, and clothing are visual reminders of the region's cultural history. The region-specific exhibits attract tourists interested in the artifacts of the particular tribes and their traditions. If the museums are forced to close in 2007, an attempt is sure to be made to relocate the rare and unique treasures they house to the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Forcing these museums to close and ship their collections to a national museum thousands of miles away would deal a severe blow to the communities and cultures the museums serve.

The federal government cannot simply walk away from its responsibility to preserve valuable historical artifacts. American Indians, and indeed all Americans, have a right to expect even a small government investment in the protection of these treasures. We look forward to working with you during the budget process to ensure the continued operation of these important historical and cultural museums. Thank you for your consideration of this important matter.

Sincerely,

Congressman Denny Rehberg
Congressman Frank Lucas
Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth
Congressman Tom Cole
Senator Tim Johnson

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