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I have a Cherokee artifact, what do I do with it?
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Respect it.
If it is truly an artifact, it is an item from a mound or burial site, or discovered in some other way because it has long been unused. It had a use long ago, and for either voluntary or accidental reasons, it has not been used for hundreds of years. These items should be returned to the spots they were found, or to a Cherokee elder or authority who will see that the item is returned to the tribe.
If you have a newly made item, it is either a ceremonial item or a reproduction of one. Many ceremonial objects are still made and used. They should be respected. Ceremonial items are not to be touched by anyone other than those who have authority and reason to use it. Others are made by artisans for decorative purposes, and can be purchased at many different places for this purpose. Because the latter two examples are recently made and used, they are not artifacts.
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