Australia's not the only place where fake Indigenous art is rife. In Canada, the market's flooded with it

Canada’s First Nations artists are fighting to protect their artwork from being reproduced and sold without their permission. Via DatelineSBS

Dateline reporter Evan Williams and Canadian journalist Francesca Fionda covertly filmed at a souvenir shop in Gastown, Vancouver's tourist hotspot.It’s a symbol of Vancouver and one of the most recognisable Indigenous carvings: a wooden totem pole in a form of a thunderbird standing on top of a grizzly bear holding a human.

Tourism is a lucrative industry in British Columbia that brings in billion of dollars a year. In 2019 alone, it generated CA$22.3 billion in revenue. A portion of tourism revenues comes from the sales of Indigenous souvenirs and gifts.the Indigenous souvenir industry of Vancouver, the province’s largest city. The team, led by journalist Francesca Fionda, visited 40 souvenir shops and sampled 260 different items.

“I don't care how good or bad whatever that's being copied, I think it should stop,” Hunt told SBS Dateline. “I think every artist should be happy with somebody wanting to produce their work, but counted them in,” Hunt said. He fears younger carvers will stop because there’ll be no incentive for them to make a living from their art.

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