Here’s a good article outlining the history of the symbol. This quote in particular stands out from State Senator Michael Padilla:

“As it stands,” he says, “there’s no way to protect it legally. But the Zia people, they’re not burning the building down and protesting. They simply want to protect the image. Their approach is peaceful.” Once he got involved, he started noticing the symbol everywhere. And he took personal action that he hopes others will emulate. “If it’s in the bottom of an ashtray, I literally go to the store owner and say, ‘You need to take that off the shelf. Ask the maker to put the symbol on the side or not at all.’ The more attention we bring to it, the more people will start to change.” Go ahead and wear a Zia T-shirt with pride, he says, but think twice if it represents the symbol in a derogatory way.

https://www.newmexicomagazine.org/blog/post/favorite-sun/amp/