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Continue ShoppingEighth Generation, the first Native-owned company to offer wool blankets, is honored to introduce John Isaiah Pepion (Blackfeet Nation) as the newest Inspired Natives™ Project collaborator! John will join 5 other artists in the project, through which Eighth Generation mentors artists as they transition from a gallery based business model to an entrepreneurship model.
“While John's vibrant, contemporary ledger art will look stunning and unique on our products, we are equally excited about supporting John's arts entrepreneurship goals,” says Eighth Generation founder Louie Gong (Nooksack).
John is a Plains Indian Graphic artist from the Piikani Band of the Blackfoot Confederacy, and is based out of the Blackfeet reservation in north-central Montana. He is best known for his ledger art, a tradition that developed in Plains tribes as the buffalo hide they traditionally used for painting became scarce, and they were forced to adapt to making artwork on the ledger paper from accounting books. John comes from a family of artists, and pictographic art is a tradition that has been in his family for hundreds of years.
Though he has been making art his whole life, John says he never conceived of himself as an artist until he was injured in a car accident.
“While recovering, I started drawing on ledger paper to pass the time,” John said.
Many years later, John uses his artwork to find personal healing as well as cultural preservation, and frequently speaks with youth about the therapeutic nature of art.
In addition to the artists in his family, John names George Flett (Spokane) as his major influence, a renowned ledger artist who is known for helping to revive ledger art and gave John his blessing to keep pursuing the art form when they met. He also notes his contemporaries, ledger artists Donald Montileaux (Oglala Lakota) and Terrance Guardipee (Blackfeet) as inspiration, as well as painters Oscar Howe (Yanktonai Dakota) and Jerome Tiger.
Since signing with the Inspired Natives™ Project a few weeks ago, John has already worked closely with Louie to create a business entity, logo and eCommerce website stocked with products he developed collaboratively with the broader Eighth Generation team.
"I've learned so much already, especially related to eCommerce. I'm excited about being able to reach customers directly and the artistic and financial freedom that might bring me."
John's IINII (Buffalo) Earrings
John’s short-term goals as an arts entrepreneur include building more unity among the artists in his community, saying, "I want to start an association or get a building for the artists in my community so we can have a space to host classes." His long-term goals include being able to hire employees at his own company and create opportunities for other artists in his community. John sees an opportunity for his arts community to prosper:
"A lot of tourists come through the area to visit Glacier National Park, but artists aren't able to take full advantage of it right now. I want the arts community to thrive, and I think we can if we develop the business piece as well as the art.”
Check out John's growing collection of Eighth Generation products here!
Eighth Generation purposefully seeks out partnerships with artists that are community-engaged like John. “Beyond artistic merit, we want to work with people who will amplify our message about artist empowerment and eventually pass on the business knowledge we share with them to their community,” Gong says. “We are in the business of planting seeds.”
John seems to be a perfect fit. He says, "No matter what I learn, I will always give back to my community. This will boost my ability to do that." John plans on giving his first wool blanket to his mother, who has a proud collection of his work.
Marianne Scagliotti
Nov 24, 2023
Hi there. Back in Montana I just want to tell you I have been enjoying your piece of artwork I Purchased on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation years ago it was not for sale because it was your prize winning piece but you allowed me to buy it and I am forever grateful. I admire it all the time
LL Coleman
Feb 16, 2018
This is wonderful news…with the sad passing recently of great ledger artist George Flett, it is so good to see a talented young artist who had Mr. Flett’s blessing and support. Wishing him success and inspiring collaborations.
roger johnson
Mar 25, 2019
This is good news. Proud one of my tribal members makes such amazing art. I’m going to come to Seattle and purchase some of his things. Do you know if the phone protective case (stand-up warbonnet) will fit an HTC phone? Also, do you have the buffalo blanket in stock?
Can you tell John that my mother is Carol Scabbyrobe (from old Starr School), and my uncle is Kenneth Scabbyrobe (Blacklodge Singers)?
Roger Johnson
Blackfeet
Candi
Feb 16, 2018
Your work is absolutely beautiful. The work you do inspires me when I’m beading to bridge the traditional and mainstream concepts.