Alaska Native Carvers Fight for Ivory Art

0:00Alaska Native Ivory Carvers are rallying behind the Artists Act, hoping Congress passes it this year to stop states from banning their legally made, Warris Ivory and Baylene Jewelry. Federal rules under the Marine Mammal Protection Act already green light subsistence hunting in sales of these handicrafts by natives, but some states, and in Topia, crack down hard, villages in the Bearing Strait depend on this art to fund their traditional lifestyles, for hunting and carving go hand in hand, pass down through. Families. Last week, Megan Anders from Nome testified before House Committee, explaining how confused buyers walk away because of state bans aimed at Elephant. Ivory. Senator Dan Sullivan has pushed his version for almost 10 years, and it cleared the Senate last year, while Representative Nick Beggich leads the House Bill. Representative Jared Huffman backs clarifying the law, but wants tweaks to keep Elephant Protection strong, so they're ironing that out now to get it. Right? That's your update from Anchorage News Today, powered by AI.