$72.00
$198.00
$12.95
Adapted from the beautiful "Buffalo Medicine" Throw Blanket design, these vibrant crew socks are the perfect way to rock bold Blackfeet art on the go!
The buffalo was the staff of life for most Plains Indian Nations. Today the buffalo is still a central part of life, from food to ceremony. Originally drawn on the ledger paper used across much of John's work, this particular piece pays tribute to the power and sacrifice that the buffalo continues to give.
The bold design incorporates important symbols from Blackfeet art to depict rich concepts in a lively, graphic way. The lifeline, or sacred breath of the buffalo is represented here with an arrow, and the circles along the top and bottom borders depict stars. The cross symbol at the top of the design represents the Morning Star, which plays an important role in creation and ceremony among Plains Indian Nations.
$72.00
$12.95
Adapted from the beautiful "Confluence" Wool Blanket design, these vibrant crew socks are the perfect way to rock bold Tsimshian art on the go!
The Tsimshian people have understood since time immemorial that humans are not separate from the natural world, but merely a part of it. This includes an understanding that there is a human spirit inside all living things. This beautiful design by David Robert Boxley (Tsimshian) represents the powerful and inextricable connection between humans and the world around us, and is a reminder of our responsibilities to care for it all.
$198.00
The Tsimshian people have understood since time immemorial that humans are not separate from the natural world, but merely a part of it. This includes an understanding that there is a human spirit inside all living things. This beautiful design by Tsimshian artist David Robert Boxley represents the powerful and inextricable connection between humans and the world around us, and is a reminder of our responsibilities to care for it all.
He says, "The salmon will only return if we are respectful and the earth will only allow us to stay if we live in balance with it. 'Ni'nii wila loo łagigyedm ada 'ni'nii sgüü dm waalm. (That is what the ancestors did and that is what we should do)."
This blanket design is the highly anticipated result of Eighth Generation's 2017 Blanket Design Contest, of which David was a winner along with Diné artist Jared Yazzie.
5% of all blanket sales support the Inspired Natives Grant for emerging arts entrepreneurs.
$72.00
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The salmon is a primary staple of both the diet and culture of Coast Salish and Northwest Native people.
This particular design was inspired by a fishing trip to the Chehalis River in British Columbia. Louie’s Uncle Pete hooked a giant coho. Instead of trying to swim away downstream, the salmon dove down toward the bottom of the river. Although Uncle Pete ultimately brought the coho in, its unexpected dive was an image that stuck with Louie, and this piece was one of his first explorations into merging spray paint with Coast Salish designs. The dynamic motion and materials used are characteristic of Louie’s aesthetic that seamlessly blends the contemporary and traditional.
$24.00
Available for the first time in a miniature version, the popular "Good Day, Bad Day" print depicts Rez Cat stalking a Coast Salish Hummingbird. Today, like every day, is both a good and bad day -- it all depends on perspective.
In 2010, Louie adopted a scruffy-looking wild tabby kitten from the Muckleshoot Reservation, where he was working at the time. On his first night at Louie’s house, an exhausted “Rez Cat” curled up in his new litter box and went to sleep, presumably because he was used to sleeping in dirt and gravel. As Rez Cat got older, he would often stay out all night hunting and leave various “presents” at Louie’s doorstop in the morning. Since then, Rez Cat has been a common subject in Louie’s art (and now has a softer bed to rest on).
The original 18" x 24" painting (spray paint, acrylica and wood stain on wool panel) was featured in "Rebels of the Floating World" at Artxchange Gallery in Seattle's Pioneer Square.
$28.00
Bring a little 'good medicine' with you wherever you go with this easy cotton hat!
Thanks for supporting Inspired Natives, not Native-inspired. #inspirednatives
$172.00
$42.00
Bold yet elegant, this stunning statement necklace by Michelle Lowden (Acoma Pueblo) features the Acoma design representing rain, and symbolizes the moment on a rainy day when the sun peaks through and the rain glitters in the light.
$208.00
Emulating the breathtaking colors of the Montana skies, this stunning wool blanket was designed by Inspired Natives Project Collaborator, John Isaiah Pepion (Blackfeet), and pays tribute to the vibrant Plains Indian Horse culture.
The first horse that came to the Blackfeet (Piikani) became known as the Elk Dog, revolutionizing the way the Piikani were able to hunt and becoming an integral part of everyday life on the Plains. Here, John has painted the horses as they were sometimes painted before going on a hunt, raid, or into battle - with circles above their eyes to make them see farther and lightning on their bodies to make them run faster.
John says, "Being a collaborator with the Inspired Natives Project means that I get to bring light to Plains Indian culture. And being a member of the Piikani band of the Blackfoot Confederacy, it was important to me to represent the horse on my first wool blanket. It's still such a major part of our lives on the Plains today; the Plains Indian horse culture is alive and well."
5% of all blanket sales support the Inspired Natives Grant for emerging arts entrepreneurs.
$200.00
The original "Our Home" was a 30" x 40" mixed media painting.
Over the last few years, this design has also grown to symbolize Indigenous presence and unity. It was initially developed in 2010 as branding for the Seattle Indian Health Board’s Indigenous Cultures Day event. In 2015, a variation of this design was also adopted as the mark of Seattle’s successful movement to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day.
$195.00
5% of all blanket sales support the Inspired Natives Grant for emerging arts entrepreneurs.
$12.95
Adapted from the beautiful "Renewal" Wool Blanket design, these vibrant crew socks are the perfect way to rock bold Anishinaabe art on the go!
The "Renewal" design, which is characteristic of the woodlands floral tradition, tells the story of physical and spiritual renewal. It honors the land through representations of the wild plum flower, the water through our beloved wild rice, and healing through the dogwood flower, which is used to create traditional tobacco.
The scallop shapes on each end of the design – which are inspired by Sarah’s own hand-made regalia – symbolize the idea that humans are part of nature and that the renewal and revitalization of the land, water, sky and spirit require us to understand and practice our ancestral ways.
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This original design is a great example of Louie's unique merger of contemporary themes and traditional Coast Salish design. Here Blue Jay is captured at the moment he finally lets go of the trivial matters associated with his daily grind - a moment that sometimes takes human beings 3 or 4 days of vacation to achieve. This print reminds us of the importance of self-care.
$198.00
The "Renewal" design, which is characteristic of the woodlands floral tradition, tells the story of physical and spiritual renewal. It honors the land through representations of the wild plum flower, the water through our beloved wild rice, and healing through the dogwood flower, which is used to create traditional tobacco.
The scallop shapes on each end of the design – which are inspired by Sarah’s own hand-made regalia – symbolize the idea that humans are part of nature and that the renewal and revitalization of the land, water, sky and spirit require us to understand and practice our ancestral ways.
5% of all blanket sales support the Inspired Natives Grant for emerging arts entrepreneurs.
$12.95
Adapted from the beautiful "Salish Pattern" Wool Blanket design, these vibrant crew socks are the perfect way to rock bold Coast Salish art on the go!
This design was created by Louie Gong (Nooksack) after researching traditional Coast Salish weaving. Although our socks are created using modern technology, it was very important to Louie that he create a design that could be replicated with traditional Salish weaving methods.
Salish art is rarely represented in contemporary textiles, and Louie is proud to help push this particular, often overlooked form to the forefront of Native art and product offerings.
$185.00
This design was created by Louie Gong (Nooksack) after researching traditional Coast Salish weaving. Although our blankets are created using modern technology, it was very important to Louie that he create a design that could be replicated with traditional Salish weaving methods.
Salish art is rarely represented in contemporary textiles, and Louie is proud to help push this particular, often overlooked form to the forefront of Native art and product offerings.
5% of all blanket sales support the Inspired Natives Grant for emerging arts entrepreneurs.
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Featuring John Isaiah Pepion's (Blackfeet) signature ledger art, this vibrant cotton throw is a tribute to the Native slang, "snag" or “snaggin'.” This tongue-in-cheek term can be used as a verb to describe the act of getting a date or a partner, or as a noun to describe your partner - if you're lucky enough to have snagged one already!
Use it as a gift to impress your snag this Valentine's Day, or curl up in bed with a pint of ice cream to ease a recent heartbreak - the "Snaggin' Blanket" is here for you through it all.
$98.00
This beautiful wool blanket calls out to one of Eighth Generation's very first custom blanket projects, the "Tree of Life" Wool Blanket, created in partnership with the Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi.
It was these early collaborations that played a crucial role in helping us to prove that our small Native-owned company was capable of delivering a powerful update to the outdated practices of the wool blanket industry. Appropriately, perhaps, the "Sprout" Wool Blanket reminds us of the importance of nurturing new growth. With space on the label to write a note to a special little one in your life, this blanket is the perfect gift to symbolize the hopefulness and resilience of new life.
The blanket design pays tribute to traditional Woodlands floral motifs, and was created with design support from Inspired Natives Collaborator Sarah Agaton Howes (Anishinaabe).
$128.00
Designed by Inspired Natives Project collaborator, Sarah Agaton Howes (Anishinaabe), this beautiful wool blanket reminds us of the importance of being playful.
In the Anishinaabe tradition, the otter is a sacred companion. Here, two otters frolic joyfully among Sarah's signature Woodlands floral motifs. With its versatile size, this blanket is perfect for anyone looking for a smaller sized throw blanket, or as a gift for a young one in your life who embodies the spirited playfulness of the otter. No matter the occasion, it's sure to make a cherished companion!
$198.00
Eighth Generation and Tanka Fund have teamed up to bring you "The Return" wool blanket, a powerful collaboration that celebrates the return of the buffalo and the renewal of reservation economies.
The design was developed with Sonja Holy Eagle, an Oglala Lakota artist who was trained by her grandmother in painting buffalo hides to record the stories of the people. For this collaboration, she has worked with us to adapt her distinctive style of “ Winter Count” to convey the hopeful message of the return of the buffalo. The magpie is known as the buffalo’s companion, and the presence of the magpie heralds their return. When this blanket is wrapped around a person, the large buffalo comes together to symbolize a complete restoration of the buffalo in tribal communities.
Sonja Holy Eagle was trained by her grandmother in painting buffalo hides to record the stories of the people, and has adapted this traditional art form to offer this beautiful rendering of the return.
Tanka Fund is a national campaign housed at Indian Land Tenure Foundation and sponsored by Native American Natural Foods, a Native-owned company on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. With a mission of returning buffalo to Native lands, lives and economies, Tanka products are the first nationally distributed food product from an Indian Reservation. By providing grants, training and public support, they help Native buffalo producers overcome the barriers they face in growing economically and ecologically sustainable herds. Their goal is to return one million acres of Native lands to buffalo in the next ten years, renewing the health of the grasslands, the people and the local economy of reservation communities.
