Over and under, across and through, the loom's shuttle goes back and forth, weaving a wool tapestry under the skillful fingers of Na'ashjé'íí Asdzáá—Spider Woman—the constant helper and protector of humans in Navajo creation stories. Spider Woman is the one who taught Navajo/Diné women to weave woolen blankets and rugs so their people could survive winter: Spider Woman's teachings founded the incredible Navajo/Diné weaving tradition that is kept spinning today by incredibly talented Diné weavers like the Teller-Pete-Ornelas family. Our Spider Woman Throw Blanket by internationally-renowned Diné weaver Lynda Teller Pete is the first in a series of three blankets designed by intergenerational members of the Teller-Ornelas family, and pays tribute to the teachings of the first weaver and the legacy of the women who followed her.
The designs of our Spider Woman Throw Blanket is based on a manta, a wool textile that Navajo women commonly wove and wore as a draped blanket or wrap dress in the 1800s. These wearable works of art, though prized by collectors as masterpieces, are often anonymous, their maker's name having never been recorded. "When I work with museums," shares Lynda, "it upsets me that names were not collected during that time frame, like the weavers were not important, like they weren’t considered artists. These women weavers lived during the same time period as some of the European painters who are glorified and are called master artists, yet were not given the same respect or fame." Sexism, classism, and racism each played a part in the erasure of these ancestor artists, but weavers like Lynda Teller Pete and her family are putting an international spotlight to Navajo and indigenous weaving, shining a light on the names and faces of today's weavers who are keeping this ancient artform thriving.
The legacy of women weavers continues with Lynda's Spider Woman Throw Blanket. "The thin stripes are traditional of women's mantas," shares Lynda. "The triangles are the mountains of our homeland, and the dots are the stars in the sky." But perhaps the most poignant symbolism found in this blanket are the small crosses. "I added the purple Spider Woman crosses and gray thin stripes as prayers from the weaver to Spider Woman to keep her safe, to keep her weaving so she can provide for her family," says Lynda. "And if Spider Woman found herself enslaved, my prayer is that she is brave enough to escape and return home to our four sacred mountains, to our homeland."
The Teller-Pete-Ornelas family is known the world over for their incredible wool textiles. Lynda, together with her sister Barbara Teller Ornelas are the Premier Navajo/Diné Tapestry Weavers, and are accomplished artists, teachers, and authors. Taught to weave by their mother, Ruth Teller, Lynda and Barbara are fifth-generation weavers, and their one-of-a-kind works are typically purchased off the loom before they are even finished. With the Spider Woman Throw Blanket, Lynda's designs are now available to a much wider audience. "We're honored to be part of the Teller-Pete-Ornelas family's weaving tradition with Lynda's Spider Woman Throw Blanket," says Eighth Generation CEO Colleen Echohawk (Pawnee, Athabascan). "Native art belongs in every home in America, and Eighth Generation makes that possible with every blanket we make."
North Winds Series
The North Wind brings cold air from the Arctic, and on its wings come tales of green lights that dance across the night sky and snowflakes that sparkle like diamonds. The North Wind is also a trade wind, influencing migration and the exchange of goods for people across the Northern Hemisphere for thousands of years. We’ve combined the poetic and the practical of the North Winds to create our North Winds Series—a collection of Native designed 100% wool blankets produced at a heritage mill in Norway.
The land of glacial fjords and snowy mountains, Norway has a long history of wool textile production. For our North Winds Series, we have partnered with a Norwegian mill specializing in sustainable practices and heritage techniques to produce this special series of Native designed, 100% wool blankets, fusing traditional wool textile knowledge from two ancient traditions with two modern companies working to keep cultural art thriving. This unique partnership allows us to work with a small mill that, like Eighth Generation, values sustainability and cultural practices, while sharing Indigenous art and excellence with Nordic partners. As a vertical mill, all parts of the wool blanket production takes place in the same area—the sheep are raised and tended, the wool sheered, processed, and spun into yarn, and the blankets woven in one sustainable operation. These luxurious, 100% wool blankets are of a thick, heavy weight, perfect cuddling under while you watch the snow fall outside your window.
- Made in a vertical mill in Norway
- Fabric content: 100% Norwegian wool
- Designed by Navajo weaver Lynda Teller Pete
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Blanket size: 53.15 in x 78.74 in / 135 cm x 200 cm
- Colors include purples, pinks, and natural white
Thank you for supporting Inspired Natives™, not "Native-inspired."
Product Care:
- Spot clean only; if needed, 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
