Inspired Natives™ Award | Eighth Generation

In 2015, when Eighth Generation became the first Native-owned company to offer wool blankets, we promised that 5% of profit from our retail blanket sales would go back to community in the form of the "Inspired Natives^® Award". This is in addition to the $200k+ we've contributed over the years in support of everything from Standing Rock, nonprofit organizations, cultural events, family celebrations and small tokens of comfort for our homeless relatives on the streets of Seattle. Most recently, we donated blankets to victims of wildfires on the West Coast, PPE equipment to the Seattle Indian Health Board, and blankets to Chief Seattle Club.

Eighth Generation is pleased to announce the establishment of our national award program for Native artists. The Inspired Natives® Award is an award for emerging Native artists who are pushing boundaries in the world of arts and arts entrepreneurship. We are looking for candidates who are expanding definitions of what it means to be Native and who go above and beyond to make themselves a resource to their community. Our goal is to assist emerging artists of all mediums in developing business infrastructure (e-commerce, branding, equipment, and product development) to maximize their potential for success in the mainstream marketplace.

The award is administered in partnership with The Evergreen State College Longhouse and awarded annually starting in 2017. Since our 2019 Defend Wool Blanket collaboration, we have expanded the partnership to include NDN Collective as well.