As we mentioned in our last post, our partnership with the National Park Foundation is thriving.
Thanks to all of you for your part in making this partnership a success.
The NPF works tirelessly to protect the parks and monuments that preserve America’s beauty for future generations. And National Park Week is a celebration of their efforts. You can learn more at this page, which offers so much information about just what’s included in this special week:
We are celebrating National Park Week 2023 with a donation milestone of over $1.5 million in contributions to the National Park Foundation since 2016. Through sales of the National Park Collection, Pendleton is proud to support the National Park Foundation, the nonprofit dedicated to protecting and preserving America’s more than 400 national parks.
Our Projects
Pendleton’s partnership has supported two landmark park preservation projects. Our first project was in Glacier National Park, at the beautiful Many Glacier Hotel. Restoration of the historic lobby included rebuilding the iconic helical staircase, which had been displaced by a gift shop.
Our second project is restoration and preservations of the historic Grand Canyon Train Depot in Grand Canyon National Park. The historic station is a landmark. Its restoration is currently ongoing, with a special focus on enhancing the accessibility so all guests can enjoy the train.
We are excited to announce a new project. We will be contributing to the development and support of the Desert View Inter-Tribal Cultural Heritage Site at Grand Canyon National Park. This includes the Desert View Watchtower, designed by architect Mary Colter.
“The national parks have been an important part of Pendleton’s heritage from the very early days,” said Pendleton CEO John Bishop. “Our National Parks Collection dates back to 1916. It is an honor to be able to continue to partner with the National Park Foundation to help support the inspiring work they do across our treasured national parks.”
We couldn’t do it without you. Thank you all for your support.
Pendleton and The College Fund are excited to present the new blanket for 2023: Many Nations, a design by Dustin Lopez. Dustin is a student at Diné College pursuing a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree. His winning designwas selected from 107 entries.
Many Nations
Many Nations pays tribute to the Indigenous person representing more than one tribe. An indigenized version of DNA frames the initials ‘M’ and ‘B’ to create a symbol for ‘mixtblood.’ The hourglass shape represents the Tsiiyéeł, a symbol to honor the Navajo matriarch society. A serape layout honors the Yaqui, and turquoise symbolizes the Pueblo of Laguna. These are the Many Nations of Dustin Lopez, a College Fund scholar, designer, and artist. Lopez reclaimed his identity through powwow, where he learned inter-tribal dances and embraced his mixtblood identity with a full heart and open mind.
Dustin Lopez (Diné/Laguna Pueblo/Pascua Yaqui) is based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is currently working as a designer, muralist, and educator, and attends Diné College, majoring in Fine Arts with an emphasis in Design.
Lopez explained that the design of Many Nations is meant to represent the identity crisis felt by Indigenous people who are descendants of more than one tribe or have some non-Native ancestry. Indigenized DNA strands pay tribute to water as the element we cannot exist without. The hourglass shape is made up of the initial M and B for “mixed-blood,” but the hourglass also symbolizes the Tsiiyéeł, or matriarchal society, for many Navajo artists. Star shapes represent parents, both biological and figurative, that pass along traditional teachings and help those struggling with their identity to navigate the world on and off the reservation.
Lopez used a serape design to honor the Yaqui and Laguna Pueblo side of his family and shades of red that reminded him of his home in Coyote Kills Canyon. Finally, the triangles represent the artist radiating with pride, a feeling he hopes to instill in other Indigenous people with all his works, no matter the mixture of their DNA.
With a passion for creativity, Lopez aspires to be a role model on and off the reservation. “My dream is to use art and design as a driving force to reclaim our language, culture, and identities as ‘mixtbloods’. By combining modern and street art with contemporary art, I hope to inspire successfully between both worlds.”
Here, he talks about his inpsirations for Many Nations.
Tribal College Blanket Design Contest and The College Fund
Many Nations is the third winner of the Tribal College Blanket Design contest, which seeks to elevate the voices, work, and representation of tribal college and university (TCU) students while providing TCU students with additional scholarship opportunities. Pendleton has been supporting the work of the College Fund through the sale of special blankets since 1995, and has provided over $1.7 million in scholarship support for American Indian and Alaska Native students attending Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). Over the years, blankets have been designed by various designers and guest artists, including Larry Ahvakana, Preston Singletary, Mary Beth Jiron, Tracie Jackson, and many more.
The American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest nonprofit supporting Native higher education for 33 years. The College Fund believes “Education is the answer” and provided $14.45 million in scholarships and other direct student support to American Indian students in 2021-22. Since its founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than $284 million in scholarships, program, community, and tribal college support. The College Fund also supports a variety of academic and support programs at the nation’s 35 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit www.collegefund.org.
At Pendleton, we believe in giving back. We have created beautiful blankets that benefit many philanthropic partnerships, and today’s post is focused on blankets that give back to causes near and dear to Nature.
Oregon Blankets
Pacific Wonderland
From the pristine shores of Wallowa Lake to the ocean overlooks of Ecola Point, Oregon’s state park system includes 256 places to hike, picnic, camp, and recharge. It all began one hundred years ago with five acres of donated land that set aside a special place for everyone. In shades of moody indigo, a moonlit landscape celebrates the centennial of the Oregon state parks and our commitment to preserve our Pacific Wonderland for the next 100 years.
The Pacific Wonderland blanket helps support the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s “Park Explorer Series”, which aims to remove barriers to outdoor recreation. Projects include building trails that everybody can use, showcasing parks digitally, and making camping possible for folks who may otherwise never get to try it.
This limited-edition wool blanket honors our home state’s park system. In this design, Mt. Hood watches over a reflective lake flanked by forests, with geometric patterns honoring Oregon’s original inhabitants. Medallions for 12 beloved state parks are bordered by stripes in colors that echo their landscapes.
Purchase of this blanket also helps support the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s “Park Explorer Series.” If you’d like to know more about the twelve parks selected for this blanket, you can read a little about wach of them here: Forever Oregon
The scent of smoke fills the air. An orange glow lights the horizon. Mother Nature is on alert, and Wildland Firefighters stand ready to defend her. These brave men and women hold the line against fire’s destruction with team effort; digging lines, running hoses, saving structures when they can. In Pendleton’s tribute to Wildland Firefighting, bands of deep forest alternate with lines of flame, lighting trees endangered by flame. A portion of this blanket’s sales help the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, which supports families and injured firefighters in times of need.
Supporting Wildfire-relted Casues
This blanket supports the Wildland Firefighter Foundation. We have also used it to support other causes in times of great need. You can read about one of those here: Thank You for Helping the Red Cross. We also held a special sale of this blanket to generate a substantial donation to relief for the Australian Bushfires of 2019-2020.
Every Pendleton National Park blanket (as well as throws, apparel, accessories and bags, footwear, mugs, everything!) generates a donation to the National Park Foundation. Funds from our donations have been used to restore the Helical Stairs at Many Glaciers Lodge in Glacier National Park (read about it here: Your Gift to the National Parks: Helical Stairs Project). We are also helping to fund the restoration of the Depot at Grand Canyon National Park, which is still ongoing (read about that here: The Depot Project is Underway!). And, a new project is coming! Watch for an exciting announcement soon.
You can see our current selection of Park blankets (some blankets in the above photo are retired) and Parks-related merchandise at http://www.pendleton-usa.com. And thank you for supporting these important causes.
Cellular One and Pendleton have partnered on a philanthropic initiative to raise awareness and contribute to nonprofits working toward solutions that address the disproportionately high rates of missing and murdered Indigenous persons. This spring the two companies commissioned “The Healing Blanket,” designed by a talented Navajo Artist Leandra Yazzie. For this special limited edition of the blanket, 100% of the proceeds from sales will go to support two nonprofits, MMDR: Missing & Murdered Diné Relatives, and NIWRC: National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center.
About the NIWRC
The National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center provides national leadership to end violence against American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian women by lifting up the collective voices of grassroots advocates and offering culturally grounded resources, technical assistance and training, and policy development to strengthen tribal sovereignty. Learn more at https://www.niwrc.org/
THE HEALING BLANKET
The Healing Blanket
Against the blue of Father Sky, songbirds rise from Mother Earth to greet the healing rays of Morning Sun. The birds carry messages of harmony, balance, and renewal in a design that brings awareness to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Movement. A band of turquoise symbolizes Life, with bands of red for missing Native relatives who will never be forgotten. Diné artisan Leandra Yazzie’s design brings a message of resilience and hope.
LEANDRA YAZZIE
Artist and designer Leandra Yazzie (Diné) lives in Blue Gap, Arizona. Growing up, her grandmother and aunt, both renowned Navajo weavers, shared their talents, techniques, and histories with her. Ms. Yazzie credits the resilient woman in her life with inspiring the vibrant cultural undertones that inform her work.
Today and every day, we celebrate the work of our partners at the American Indian College Fund. The College Fund supports community-based accredited tribal colleges and universities that offer students access to knowledge, skills and cultural values that enhance their communities and the country as a whole.
For over 20 years, Pendleton has joined their mission with a collection of College Fund blankets, and the Pendleton endowment, to help fund scholarships to students. So far, over $1 million dollars in scholarships have been funded for 1,288 American Indian and Alaska Native students at all 35 tribal college and universities.
The Blankets, the Designers
Two College Fund scholars have designed blankets in the collection.
The newest is Unity designed by Chelysa Owens-Cyr.
The Lakota word for horse is Sunka Wakan, or Holy Dog. At sunrise, a horse gallops through a Lakota village of traditional tipis. A geometric Morning Star greets the dawn over each dwelling, announcing the coming of sunlight to the earth and the gift of a new day. The horse or Holy Dog stands for strength and unity, the central figure in a design that represents how Nature and Native people are one.
Designer Chelysa Owens-Cyr (Fort Peck Assiniboine & Dakota Sioux/Pasqua First Nations Cree) is an artist from Montana’s Fort Peck Indian Reservation. As a College Fund scholar, she studied Business Administration at Fort Peck Community College. She is a self-taught contemporary ledger artist, beader, graphic designer and painter, influenced by her family and culture. “I work with many mediums to share my personal teachings, beliefs, stories and visions with the people.”
Courage to Bloom is designed by Deshawna Anderson.
Arrow shapes in this pattern symbolize finding a good path in life, acknowledging that every path holds pitfalls and dangers, as well as opportunity. To honor the loss of missing and murdered indigenous Native people, an hourglass shape at the base of the largest blossom symbolizes life’s spiritual journey through the most difficult circumstances.
Designer Deshawna Anderson (White Mountain Apache/Crow) was a College Fund scholar at Little Big Horn College in Crow Agency, Montana, where she studies Business Administration. She is of the Butterfly Clan and a child of the Greasy Mouth.
More Information
You can see all the blankets for the College Fund at pendleton-usa.com. We look forward to introducing a third scholar-designed blanket next year.
We are glad to announce that the GATHER blanket is back in stock. This beautiful blanket was designed by Emma Robbins, who is also the program’s director (you see her in the video above). When we unveiled the blanket in January, it sold out quickly. A portion of the sales from this blanket go to theDigDeep Navajo Water Project, a nonprofit that works to bring clean running water to the one in three Navajo families without it.
GATHER
Like the piñon tree, members of the Navajo Nation gather resources to survive an increasingly precarious water supply. Diné artist Emma Robbins has gathered symbols of endurance for this design; a sáanii (maternal grandmother) scarf crossed by traditional sash belts used in ceremonies and childbirth. At the center, a young woman’s bracelet of silver is set with turquoise, a stone formed by rare rains flowing through arid layers of rock. A portion of blanket sales will support DigDeep’s Navajo Water Project.
Ms. Robbins shared photos of her inspirations with us.
First, the floral ground of the blanket is inspired by a sáanii scarf, as worn here by a sáanii (maternal grandmother in Navajo).
96-year old Annette Bilagody, Navajo, is a retired rug weaver and beader. She and her family run a small online business where she sells her jewelry. (Photo courtesy Lucita Bennett family) (Caption and photo courtesy Indian Country Today)
Sáanii scarves have traditionally been worn by grandmothers, and are a symbol of wisdom and nurturing. Recently they have made their way into modern Navajo and Native fashion, and are worn to honor grandmothers and strong female teachers and role models. Both of Ms. Robbins’ grandmothers were strong matriarchs of their families, and played important roles in her upbringing. She remembers making art with Ann, her maternal grandmother, and harvesting piñons with Nora, her paternal grandmother, while sitting on a blanket. Piñons are also the namesake of her daughter.
Learn more about the history and meaning of the Sáanii scarf here: The Saanii scarf
Learn more about the piñon tree and its nut here: The piñon tree
Two Navajo Sash belts traverse the floral ground.
Photo courtesy Emma Robbins, sash belt designed by Jonessa Reid
These traditional belts are woven in a specific color set of red or green, and worn by both men and women, depending on the ceremony. These belts are also an important birthing tool.
At the center of the blanket design is a squash blossom bracelet gifted to Ms. Robbins at her Kinaaldá, a Navajo girl’s coming of age ceremony.
This bracelet made of turquoise, the sacred stone of the south to the Diné or Navajo. Known as dootlizh, it is considered to be a living and breathing being because it changes color as it ages. Turquoise also refers to water, as this stone is formed when water flows through rock, leaving behind specific minerals such as copper and aluminum. The minerals form veins of turquoise, flowing through rock in colors that range from deep green to palest blue. Turquoise is part of the Navajo creation story, and to this day Dootlizhii Ashkii (the Turquoise Boy) carries the sun across the sky each day. Turquoise brings long life and happiness to the wearer, as well as a means to restore good health; as Ms. Robbins says, “We come from water, and it is part of all human survival.”
When Ms. Robbins designed the blanket, she combined these representations of survival and renewal in a watercolor; here is her original design for the GATHER blanket.
More about Emma Robbins
Emma Robbins is a Diné artist, activist, and community organizer. As Executive Director of the Navajo Water Project, part of the human rights nonprofit DigDeep Water, she is working to create infrastructure that brings clean running water to the one in three Navajo families without it. In addition, she is the creator of The Chapter House, an Indigenous women-led community arts space, designed for Natives and welcoming all.
Through her artwork, Robbins strives to raise awareness about the lack of clean water on Native Nations and educate viewers about issues such as the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis, representations and misrepresentations of Native people, and the environmental impact of abandoned uranium mines. She explores these themes through photography, installations, and use of found materials foraged on her trips across the United States and abroad.
Ms. Robbins completed her BFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and studied Modern and Contemporary Latin American Art History in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has been featured in The Washington Post, Harper’s Bazaar, NPR, and on Erin Brockovich’s podcast, and has lectured at Yale, Brown, MIT and Skoll. She is an Aspen Institute Healthy Communities Fellow, serves on the Advisory Committee to U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and is a recipient of an Environmental Leader Award. Robbins is a mom, has two dogs, and splits her time on Tongvaland (Los Angeles) and the Navajo Nation.
Many thanks to Ms. Robbins for these biographical notes, which were adapted from her website and from program notes for her various speaking engagements (with permission).
Photo courtesy Emma Robbins. Emma and her daughter Piñon on the Gather blanket
Say hello to the new Pacific Wonderland blanket! A made-in-USA wool blanket celebrating the centennial of the Oregon State Park System, preserving and protecting our Pacific Wonderland for 100 years. From the pristine shores of Wallowa Lake to the rocky overlooks of Ecola Point, Oregon’s State Park system welcomes 46 million visitors to 256 parks each year. Done in shades of indigo, this scene depicts a serene moonlit landscape.
Purchase of this blanket (and our Forever Oregon blanket) helps support the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s “Park Explorer Series,” which aims to remove barriers to outdoor recreation and encourage diversity. Projects include building trails accessible to all, and making camping possible for folks who may otherwise never get to try it.
In our last post, we talked about the Forever Oregon blanket, a limited-edition wool blanket that honors our home state’s park system with a design that features Mt. Hood watching over a reflective lake flanked by forests, and medallions for 12 beloved state parks.
You can read the full post about this blanket and the parks it represents here: Forever Oregon
Purchase of both these blankets helps support the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s “Park Explorer Series,” which is a growing, ongoing initiative that aims to remove barriers to outdoor recreation and encourage diversity. Projects include building trails accessible to all, and making camping possible for folks who may otherwise never get to try it.
Oregon’s First State Park
Sarah Helmick State Park is located off Highway 99, also known as the Old Pacific Highway, as it was the original route from Portland to the Oregon coast. The park is named for an Albany woman who donated a portion of her Polk County family homestead to the state highway commission for a park in 1922. The Oregon State Highway Commission accepted the donation as a rest stop and camping spot for travelers. The park has been expanded to about 81 acres, with 15 currently open for used by the public.
Helmick Park was originally intended for respite, and offers plenty. It has large, grassy picnic areas that can accommodate two 150-person groups. It’s shaded by Oregon white oak, bigleaf maple, Douglas fir and black cottonwood trees. A park trail leads to a Lukiamute River swimming hole. As Oregon’s first state park, it is being celebrated in 2022, as is the woman who donated the acreage it occupies.
Who was Sarah Helmick? According to the Polk County Itemizer-Observer:
Sarah Steeprow was born July 4, 1823, in Harrison County, Indiana. In April 1845, she married Henry Helmick, a German immigrant, in Iowa and left the next day in a wagon train headed west. The Helmicks were among about 150 people and 80 wagons on a six-month journey to Oregon, according to Gabriel.
They settled in a region along the Willamette River known as Tualatin Plains, an area that had been home to Kalapuya Native Americans. Henry Helmick was credited with building Salem’s first grist mill. Sarah and Henry Helmick lived for more than 25 years on a 640-acre homestead in Polk County near the Luckiamute River.
After Henry Helmick died in 1877, Sarah moved to Albany, building a home at Seventh and Baker streets to be near her children, son James of Albany and daughter Frances of Corvallis. She also had six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
In July 1922, at 99 Sarah Helmick was celebrated that year as Albany’s oldest resident. Although nearly blinded by cataracts, Sarah had “every faculty alert” and “keeps a pleasant lookout on life,” according to a reporter for the Albany Democrat-Herald. (source)
The park named in Sarah Helmick’s honor remains a relaxed and welcoming place to picnic in the shade of Oregon oaks, visit the swimming hole, or to take a shady rest on your way to other Oregon adventures.
Pendleton is proud to present a new coloration of our Chief Joseph blanket, a subtle hue called Rosewood.
NARA
A purchase of this beautiful blanket benefits the women’s health program of NARA, a Native American-owned, Native American-operated, nonprofit agency.
The Native American Rehabilitation Association (NARA) Women’s Wellness Program provides culturally tailored breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services for American Indian and Alaska Native women. NARA works to bring care to underserved, uninsured, and underinsured women, and those who are rarely or never screened for breast and cervical cancer. In additional to screening and diagnostic services, NARA offers assistance with referral coordination, transportation and navigation of health care appointments.
We had a conversation with NARA’s Yolanda Moisa about NARA’s women’s health program.
PWM: Can you tell me about your organization’s mission?
YM: Our mission at NARA is to provide education, physical and mental health services and substance abuse treatment that is culturally appropriate to American Indians, Alaska Natives and anyone in need. Our purpose is to achieve the highest level of physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing for American Indians and Alaska Native people.
Our women’s health program is a critical part of our larger physical health outreach. It’s the women who make this program so rewarding. Throughout the 20 years of this program, we have helped women from all backgrounds. Each person is unique and has a story to tell. We save lives daily. Our hope and goal is prevention and no cases of cancer ever, however, the reality is that catching cancer sooner than later makes for a much better prognosis.
PWM: Can you tell us about some of your more rewarding moments?
YM: There are so many stories of success and how we help women, we are helping generations of women. A story that comes to mind is that we had a woman who had just moved to the Portland area and came in for another visit and our staff noticed she was due for her yearly women’s exams. When she received her results from her mammogram a small lump in her breast was detected. She did find out that it was cancerous, it was caught at Stage 1. We walked her through her options and our team was there to answer all her questions. Just having someone listen to her and help manage the many appointments that come with cancer treatment was a comfort. More importantly, she brought her daughter in and sisters in to be tested, again changing lives.
PWM: When did NARA form and how many people have you served?
NARA has been in the community since 1970, and offering medical care since 1993. Since 1996 we have helped Women receive over 7000 MAMS and over 8000 PAPS. The women’s health program offers women’s services at both clinics where screenings, and references for mammograms to low income, uninsured Native women. We want to provide early detection for breast and cervical cancer. As an urban facility, we’ve been able to serve members from over 250 tribes, nations, bands, who are all able to access any of the services here.
PWM: That’s fantastic. What drew you to this program, Yolanda?
YM: I came to NARA after many years in the corporate legal field. I’m a member of the Tule River Tribe in Porterville CA, and it was always my intention to return to working with Native Americans–to give back. Throughout my career I have volunteered and advocated for women and children. Coming to NARA was like finding a family that truly “got it”, understanding what it means to help our community. I see my family in the many faces in our waiting rooms: my grandmother, aunties, uncles, mother and siblings. It’s pretty amazing!
PWM: Are there special challenges within the Native American community?
YM: For Native women, there is a history of trauma around medical services. Along with assault, abuse and harassment, there is a documented history of forced sterilization. This painful history plays into fear and mistrust of medicine.
Our CDC grant allows us to do something special for Native American and Alaska Native women—weekend clinic sessions that we call the Well Women’s Event. These events are designed as a safe place for women. It’s not uncommon to have generations of women from families come together. The grandmother, mother and daughter will all come for the daughter’s first mammogram for support. We open the clinic to women only. Our guests are welcomed to a Native crafts night, and a women-only talking circle. The nurse on staff gives one-on-one advice and education. We offer cervical cancer screens here, and transport woman safely to and from an off-site mammogram facility.
Any woman who gets a screening receives culturally specific books about women’s health, including “Journey Woman: A Native Woman’s Guide to Wellness”. Through the generosity of Pendleton we were allowed to use Pendleton motifs in the books.
When women see themselves in health materials, it builds trust and adds warmth to what can be a very cold environment. Some women come just for the community events, and that’s fine. Our goal is to make women’s healthcare safe and communal, almost a celebration of womanhood.
PWM: How does the Pendleton blanket help?
YM: Each purchase of the blanket generates a donation to NARA. The money will go into the women’s health program, helping us expand our outreach to various underserved and marginalized communities within Portland. We hope to start momentum that leads to continuing healthcare. If we can save one life, we’re proud. Hopefully with these added donations we will continue to help many more women. Thank you Pendleton!
If you would like to help NARA through direct donation, feel free to contact Yolanda Moisa at ymoisa@naranorthwest.org or 503-224-1044.
More Info
If you would like to help through the purchase of the special edition Chief Joseph blanket (Rosewood color only), see it HERE:
Pendleton is honored to unveil a new blanket designed by artist Emma Robbins. A portion of the sales from this blanket will go to theDigDeep Navajo Water Project, a nonprofit that works to bring clean running water to the one in three Navajo families without it.
GATHER
Like the piñon tree, members of the Navajo Nation gather resources to survive an increasingly precarious water supply. Diné artist Emma Robbins has gathered symbols of endurance for this design; a sáanii (maternal grandmother) scarf crossed by traditional sash belts used in ceremonies and childbirth. At the center, a young woman’s bracelet of silver is set with turquoise, a stone formed by rare rains flowing through arid layers of rock. A portion of blanket sales will support DigDeep’s Navajo Water Project.
Ms. Robbins shared photos of her inspirations with us.
First, the floral ground of the blanket is inspired by a sáanii scarf, as worn here by a sáanii (maternal grandmother in Navajo).
96-year old Annette Bilagody, Navajo, is a retired rug weaver and beader. She and her family run a small online business where she sells her jewelry. (Photo courtesy Lucita Bennett family) (Caption and photo courtesy Indian Country Today)
Sáanii scarves have traditionally been worn by grandmothers, and are a symbol of wisdom and nurturing. Recently they have made their way into modern Navajo and Native fashion, and are worn to honor grandmothers and strong female teachers and role models. Both of Ms. Robbins’ grandmothers were strong matriarchs of their families, and played important roles in her upbringing. She remembers making art with Ann, her maternal grandmother, and harvesting piñons with Nora, her paternal grandmother, while sitting on a blanket. Piñons are also the namesake of her daughter.
Learn more about the history and meaning of the Sáanii scarf here: The Saanii scarf
Learn more about the piñon tree and its nut here: The piñon tree
Two Navajo Sash belts traverse the floral ground.
Photo courtesy Emma Robbins, sash belt designed by Jonessa Reid
These traditional belts are woven in a specific color set of red or green, and worn by both men and women, depending on the ceremony. These belts are also an important birthing tool.
At the center of the blanket design is a squash blossom bracelet gifted to Ms. Robbins at her Kinaaldá, a Navajo girl’s coming of age ceremony.
This bracelet made of turquoise, the sacred stone of the south to the Diné or Navajo. Known as dootlizh, it is considered to be a living and breathing being because it changes color as it ages. Turquoise also refers to water, as this stone is formed when water flows through rock, leaving behind specific minerals such as copper and aluminum. The minerals form veins of turquoise, flowing through rock in colors that range from deep green to palest blue. Turquoise is part of the Navajo creation story, and to this day Dootlizhii Ashkii (the Turquoise Boy) carries the sun across the sky each day. Turquoise brings long life and happiness to the wearer, as well as a means to restore good health; as Ms. Robbins says, “We come from water, and it is part of all human survival.”
When Ms. Robbins designed the blanket, she combined these representations of survival and renewal in a watercolor; here is her original design for the GATHER blanket.
More about Emma Robbins
Emma Robbins is a Diné artist, activist, and community organizer. As Executive Director of the Navajo Water Project, part of the human rights nonprofit DigDeep Water, she is working to create infrastructure that brings clean running water to the one in three Navajo families without it. In addition, she is the creator of The Chapter House, an Indigenous women-led community arts space, designed for Natives and welcoming all.
Through her artwork, Robbins strives to raise awareness about the lack of clean water on Native Nations and educate viewers about issues such as the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis, representations and misrepresentations of Native people, and the environmental impact of abandoned uranium mines. She explores these themes through photography, installations, and use of found materials foraged on her trips across the United States and abroad.
Ms. Robbins completed her BFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and studied Modern and Contemporary Latin American Art History in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She has been featured in The Washington Post, Harper’s Bazaar, NPR, and on Erin Brockovich’s podcast, and has lectured at Yale, Brown, MIT and Skoll. She is an Aspen Institute Healthy Communities Fellow, serves on the Advisory Committee to U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and is a recipient of an Environmental Leader Award. Robbins is a mom, has two dogs, and splits her time on Tongvaland (Los Angeles) and the Navajo Nation.
Many thanks to Ms. Robbins for these biographical notes, which were adapted from her website and from program notes for her various speaking engagements (with permission).
All of us at Pendleton send congratulations on the birth of her beautiful child.
Photo courtesy Emma Robbins. Emma and her daughter Piñon on the Gather blanket
