Our ancestors stretch behind us in a grand line, don't they? Grand in the sense of scale, but also grand in a playful way: they're called grandparents, after all.
"'You're never alone, because you always have your ancestors watching out for you.' This is what I grew up learning," shares Colleen Echohawk (Pawnee, Athabascan), the designer of our Grand Blessing Throw Blanket. "This design is a tribute to family, to connection, and to belonging. That's a perspective we all share: we all want to belong, and we all want to feel like we're part of something larger."
The design on her Grand Blessing Throw Blanket pays homage to Colleen's grandparents, great-grandparents, and ancestors on both sides of her family, while sharing a traditional Plains symbol. "In Plains art, the cross symbol can represent many things," explains Colleen, "but in the Grand Blessings design, the cross symbolizes the four directions. This is my hope that the person using this blanket can always find their way back to their people and to their self."
Colleen's own large family is a source of inspiration and support. "I grew up very close to my grandma on my mom's side," shares Colleen. "And while my Pawnee grandparents died before I was born, my dad made sure all us kids were still connected to the Pawnee tribe and who ware are culturally as Pawnee people."
Colleen and her two children are pictured in the photos!
- Made in a vertical mill in England
- Fabric content: 100% UK wool
- Authentic Native design by Colleen Echohawk (Pawnee, Athabascan)
- Blanket size: 47.24 in x 74.8–77.95 in / 120 cm x 190–198 cm
- The finished length varies from 190 cm to 198 cm due to natural variations in the milling process
- Colors include white and gray
Thank you for supporting Inspired Natives®, not "Native-inspired."
About the Waymaker Series
Native people have always made our own way. From creating paths and connection across our beautiful homelands, to forging new ways to retain Indigeneity in the face of a colonial landscape, Native people have always been trailblazers. In our Waymaker Series, we have partnered with a completely vertical mill in the United Kingdom to create a collection of 100% wool blankets that are as sustainable as they are beautiful.
“Care for Mother Earth is a foundational Native value,” says Eighth Generation CEO Colleen Echohawk (Pawnee, Athabascan). “Eighth Generation is committed to caring for our world, and forging new paths toward sustainability. With our Waymaker Series, we are working with a vertical woolen mill to create wool blankets with lower environmental impact—the next step forward on our path to greater sustainability.”
In a fully “vertical” process, a woolen mill does all parts of the manufacturing process, from shearing the sheep to processing the raw wool, to spinning the wool into yarn and weaving the textiles, to finally finishing the blankets fully. That eliminates materials transportation emissions created in many other manufacturing processes; additionally, this partner mill adheres to a rigorous eight-point internal sustainability policy.
The blankets in our Waymaker Series represent our company’s continued commitment to the Native value of sustainability while bringing authentic Native cultural art to a global audience. Our Waymaker Series blankets are 100% English wool, produced in England, and are a lighter weight with a gorgeous drape.
Product Care:
- Spot clean only; hand wash and air dry; lay flat to dry away from direct sunlight
- Clean liquid stains immediately with warm water and mild detergent
- Never use harsh chemicals or scrub wool
- Steam to de-wrinkle
- Store blanket away from direct sunlight
