September 22, 2021
Re: A Notice of Cease and Desist for the Unauthorized Use of IITC’s Iconic Logo
Respectful greetings relatives, allies, and friends:
The International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) is an organization of Indigenous Peoples from North, Central, South America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific working for the Sovereignty and Self Determination of Indigenous Peoples and the recognition and protection of Indigenous Rights, Treaties, Traditional Cultures, and Sacred Lands.
IITC was founded in 1974 at an Indigenous Peoples gathering on the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota, which was attended by more than 5000 representatives from 98 Indigenous Nations. The symbol of the sacred pipe uniting the hemisphere was chosen by the elders to represent the common bonds of spirituality, relationship to the land, and traditional culture shared by all Indigenous Peoples. At this gathering, IITC was given permission by the elders and spiritual leaders to use an image of the sacred pipe (chanupa) in prayerful action (lit) in the organization’s logo that was created by Lakota artist Greg Zephyr. IITC is the only Indigenous organization that has been so authorized. IITC has used and promoted this logo since 1974 and it is an essential element of IITC’s respected and well-recognized identity since that time.
Much to our dismay, today it came to our attention that IITC’s iconic logo is being used, unauthorized, by various artists and vendor platforms on t-shirts, mugs and other items posted for sale with a tagline “It’s all Native Land.” This is not only a violation of our long-standing ownership of our organization’s recognized image. It is also a case of cultural appropriation and a violation of Indigenous spiritual protocols. IITC is now in the process of contacting the artists and companies promoting and selling these items. We hope that they will be cooperative and remove all the products they have posted for sale using IITC’s logo immediately. We are also consulting on appropriate legal remedy if necessary.
IITC is requesting that our relatives, allies, and friends not patronize any artists who unknowingly or knowingly are violating our cultural rights and engaging in the unauthorized use of our organizational logo. We also request any information on unauthorized use of IITC’s logo be forwarded to Summer Aubrey, IITC Staff Attorney, [email protected].
IITC has a responsibility to defend the sacred imagery entrusted to us 47 years ago and we thank you all in advance for your understanding and support.
In the Spirit of Our Ancestors,
Andrea Carmen,
Executive Director,
Consejo Internacional de Tratados Indios (CITI)
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A Notice of Cease and Desist for the Unauthorized Use of IITC’s Iconic Logo
September 22, 2021
Re: A Notice of Cease and Desist for the Unauthorized Use of IITC’s Iconic Logo
Respectful greetings relatives, allies, and friends:
The International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) is an organization of Indigenous Peoples from North, Central, South America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific working for the Sovereignty and Self Determination of Indigenous Peoples and the recognition and protection of Indigenous Rights, Treaties, Traditional Cultures, and Sacred Lands.
IITC was founded in 1974 at an Indigenous Peoples gathering on the Standing Rock Reservation in South Dakota, which was attended by more than 5000 representatives from 98 Indigenous Nations. The symbol of the sacred pipe uniting the hemisphere was chosen by the elders to represent the common bonds of spirituality, relationship to the land, and traditional culture shared by all Indigenous Peoples. At this gathering, IITC was given permission by the elders and spiritual leaders to use an image of the sacred pipe (chanupa) in prayerful action (lit) in the organization’s logo that was created by Lakota artist Greg Zephyr. IITC is the only Indigenous organization that has been so authorized. IITC has used and promoted this logo since 1974 and it is an essential element of IITC’s respected and well-recognized identity since that time.
Much to our dismay, today it came to our attention that IITC’s iconic logo is being used, unauthorized, by various artists and vendor platforms on t-shirts, mugs and other items posted for sale with a tagline “It’s all Native Land.” This is not only a violation of our long-standing ownership of our organization’s recognized image. It is also a case of cultural appropriation and a violation of Indigenous spiritual protocols. IITC is now in the process of contacting the artists and companies promoting and selling these items. We hope that they will be cooperative and remove all the products they have posted for sale using IITC’s logo immediately. We are also consulting on appropriate legal remedy if necessary.
IITC is requesting that our relatives, allies, and friends not patronize any artists who unknowingly or knowingly are violating our cultural rights and engaging in the unauthorized use of our organizational logo. We also request any information on unauthorized use of IITC’s logo be forwarded to Summer Aubrey, IITC Staff Attorney, [email protected].
IITC has a responsibility to defend the sacred imagery entrusted to us 47 years ago and we thank you all in advance for your understanding and support.
In the Spirit of Our Ancestors,
Andrea Carmen,
Executive Director,
Consejo Internacional de Tratados Indios (CITI)