Government urged to act as report finds up to 60% of Indigenous-style souvenirs sold in Australia are fake

The Productivity Commission report has called on the federal government to do more to back Indigenous-owned businesses, after a study revealed two in three Indigenous-style souvenirs sold in Australia are fake

The commission’s final report on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Visual Arts and Craft, released on Tuesday, confirmed international visitors spent about $78-88 million on souvenirs bearing designs resembling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art in 2019-20, but 55-60% of this art is non-Indigenous authored.

Sydney-based Ngumpie Weaving owner and creator Tegan Murdock tells SmartCompany that fake Aboriginal art and non-Aboriginal-owned but Aboriginal-appearing businesses are hurting the authentic ones. 

“As small business owners we can’t compete with non-Indigenous businesses that have money and power behind them,” she said.

“We are starting from humble beginnings and create from the heart and soul; when I see ‘new’ Aboriginal artefacts or ‘Aboriginal businesses’ it makes you question what’s behind it.”

Ngumpie Weaving sells woven baskets, jewellery and wall art and Murdock also teaches traditional weaving techniques in workshops for schools and workplaces.

“For me, my art and business are about carrying on my culture and showcasing that, I’m not sure others’ motives are the same,” she said. 

“Aboriginal art is a big money maker for tourism, there needs to be a law around this and that if you want to ‘showcase’ our culture, you engage an authentic Aboriginal business.”

Murdock urges anyone buying Aboriginal art or souvenirs to first check who they are buying from.

“Are they Aboriginal? Are Aboriginal people doing the art? Have they grown up Aboriginal and have connections to community?” she asked.

“You’ll see authentic Aboriginal businesses have their mob and connection to the community visible on their socials so you will know who you want to support.”

Murdock says if in doubt head to Trading Blak where there are many authentic Indigenous businesses to support. 

Accountability needed

According to the Productivity Commission, total sales of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual arts and crafts reached at least $250 million in 2019‑20, which includes about $35 million in artwork sales through art centres and at least $80 million in sales of merchandise and consumer products that were mostly souvenirs.

Non‑Indigenous authored products accounted for up to $54 million of spending, representing well over half of total spending on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander souvenirs in 2019‑20.

Trading Blak founding director and co-owner Jarin Baigent says while the report is a step in the right direction, more needs to be done. 

“We need active opposition and accountability around fake blackfaced businesses as well as fake art,” she told SmartCompany.

“There’s no point addressing fake art without looking at exploitative blackface business models that often go hand-in-hand with fake art businesses. 

“The deliberate lack of transparency around non-Aboriginal businesses that trade in Aboriginal culture and project a misleading image of being Aboriginal-owned are just as damaging and exploitative as fake art. They are doing this while simultaneously blocking Aboriginal businesses from a sustainable economic pathway.

“These are targeted deliberate marketing ploys that make a consumer think they’re buying from an Aboriginal-owned business. Transparency should not be so hard to ask for from these business models. The Productivity Commission recommended mandating Non-Aboriginal owned and authored disclosure which would be a great thing. But it needs to be strictly enforced to work.”

Like Murdock, Baigent says consumers must do their own research to find out if they are buying from an authentic Aboriginal-owned business.

“Currently the only way to know you are buying from a 100% Aboriginal-owned business is to either do your own research by asking the questions directly — ‘Are you Aboriginal owned?’ — and/or digging deep into websites to check the ‘About us’ section, and even then the information may not be there,” she said.

It’s why Trading Blak, as a grassroots Aboriginal business collective, has done this research and only supports 100% Aboriginal-owned businesses, says Baigent. The collective also demands “transparency in marketing from businesses who trade in Aboriginal culture”.

“Exploitative fake art and fake blackfaced businesses who engage in targeted misleading marketing should incur serious penalties to protect Aboriginal people, knowledge, art and culture into the future,” she said. 

“A massive issue”

In a joint media release, Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney and Minister for the Arts Tony Burke says the federal government will “carefully” consider the recommendations made by the Productivity Commission, as part of its broader commitment to “working with First Nations people to establish stand-alone legislation to protect traditional knowledge and cultural expressions”. 

The ministers noted that the sale of inauthentic arts and crafts has disadvantaged Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and businesses for “far too long” and this has led to “cultural and economic harm”.

Burney and Burke also acknowledged that misleading products like fake paintings and boomerangs, clapping sticks and didgeridoos, t-shirts and ties are typically mass-produced in other countries, including China and Indonesia, with no involvement from Indigenous people.

Yaali Collective co-founder and director Tanieka Riley told SmartCompany that fake educational resources and toys are also a big issue that needs to be addressed.

“I noticed this massively when working within our school and preschools. This is my main reason for starting Yaali to create authentic resources and toys stemmed from Aboriginal perspectives and teachings,” she said.

“This is a massive issue for Aboriginal businesses and people. I think people are being more educated on the authenticity of arts and souvenirs now than ever. We are stepping in the right direction although it’s up to the big companies to follow suit.”