Representing friendship, this beautiful blanket merges Pacific Northwest and Māori influences in a meaningful collaboration with the s'gʷi gʷi ʔ altxʷ: House of Welcome at The Evergreen State College's Fiber Art Studio (formerly known as Evergreen Longhouse). With feathers of the Thunderbird, Salish basketry patterns, references to petroglyphs of the Columbia River area, and the constellation known as Pleiades in the Northern Hemisphere—referred to as Matariki in the Southern Hemisphere—Pacific Northwest and Māori influences are literally and figuratively woven together in this cotton throw. The Fiber Art Studio, also called Paimārire, symbolizes the friendship between the Māori artists of Aotearoa, The Land of the Long White Cloud (New Zealand), and the artists of the Pacific Northwest. Both the blanket and the Studio are physical manifestations of cultural connections among Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Rim, connected by the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Tukutuku panels are traditional to Māori meeting houses. The patterns used by Māori artists relate to their iwi (tribal) groups, just as weaving patterns in the US relate to Tribal and Hawaiian family groups. Mountains, foothills, stars, birds, humans, plants, and animals are reflected in Māori patterns, but are also similar to designs used around the Pacific Rim. This blanket features elements from many of the Tukutuku panels on display in the Fiber Arts Studio, which include Māori, Salish, and Tsimshian designs woven by the hands of many women.
Tukutuku Panel Artists: Edna Pahewa, Glenda Joyce Hape, Sonny Hape, Gaylene Henry, Matekino Lawless, Christina Hurihia Wirihana
2013 Mat and Panel Artists: Matekino Lawless, Christina Hurihia Wirihana, Karen Reed, Yvonne Peterson, Trudy Marcellay, Patti Puhn, Lynda Squally
Designed in collaboration with Louie Gong (Nooksack).
- Made in the USA
- 100% cotton
- 60" x 50" / 152.4 cm x 127cm
- Colors include blue, light blue, and yellow
- Machine wash in cold water on gentle cycle, mild detergent
- Non-chlorine bleach when needed; tumble dry
Thank you for supporting Inspired Natives®, not "Native-inspired."
5% of all blanket sales support our Inspired Natives® Award for emerging arts entrepreneurs.
