What is the Silver Hand?

The Silver Hand is a symbol attached to works of art made by registered artists belonging to Native Alaskan tribes. The symbol guarantees that the piece is a genuine and original work made by a Native Alaskan individual.

The Silver Hand program was developed to promote Native Alaskan works of art and ensure consumers that what they are buying is an authentically Native-made item, however we found in our research that the latter goal has been more fully realized.

Text on the back of a silver hand tag describing its function.
Text on the back of a silver hand tag describing its function.

Permission to use the Silver Hand logo is obtained by submitting an application to the Alaska State Council on the Arts (AKSCA). Permits cost $20 and are active for two years. Each artist gets 100 free tags annually, though additional tags may be purchased.

For more details on the AKSCA, and the terminology used to define Alaska Native art, see Defining Terms.

To see  the official application for the Silver Hand program, visit the AKSCA’s web form here.