American Indian College Fund

Many Nations for the American Indian College Fund

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2023

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 design was selected from 107 entries.

Many Nations. a College Fund blanket designed by Dustin Lopez

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.

Order the blanket here: Many Nations

The Designer

Photo of Dustin Lopez courtesy http://voyagephoenix.com/

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.

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#IndigenousPeoplesDay

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Today is Indigenous Peoples Day.

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 Unity blanket, by Pendleton Woolen Mills for the American Indian College Fund.

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.

Chelysa Owens-Cyr (Fort Peck Assiniboine & Dakota Sioux/Pasqua First Nations Cree) is an artist from Montana’s Fort Peck Indian Reservation.

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.

The Courage to Bloom blanket, by Pendleton Woolen Mills for the American Indian College Fund.

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) is 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.

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.

The Newest Pendleton Blanket for the American Indian College Fund

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Special Edition for The College Fund

We are pleased to unveil the newest Pendleton blanket for the American Indian College Fund: the Water saddle blanket in a special limited edition. This blanket was used in a beautiful PSA for The College Fund called “The Path.”

More about “The Path”

Pendleton was proud to participate by weaving a 290 yard-long “Water” blanket, used in the film to illustrates the varied paths of Native scholars travel on their way to a brighter future. After the film was finished, we refashioned it into 133 limited edition, saddle-style blankets, each 60” x 32”.

The Pendleton Water saddle blanket, special edition

How You Can Help

Indigenous people are not just a part of history, they are the future. Right now, 42% of American Indians are 24 years old or younger. With your support, we can help the next generation of indigenous leaders forge their own unique paths to a brighter future and stronger communities through the guidance and scholarships provided by The College Fund. This blanket is one way you can help.

Learn more at these links:

Special Edition Water Blanket: Learn More

Pendleton blankets for The College Fund: Learn More

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A New American Indian College Fund Blanket for 2017

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Gift of the Earth

Pendleton is proud to unveil our blanket for The College Fund for 2017, Gift of the Earth. See it here: Gift of the Earth.

Gift of the Earth blanket by Pendleton

For over 20 years, Wieden+Kennedy, the American Indian College Fund, and Pendleton Woolen Mills have worked together to create this amazing line of blankets as a way to raise money and promote the need for higher education in Native American communities. Our newest blanket, Gift of the Earth, was designed by Patty Orlando. A bold design on a neutral backdrop is inspired by the traditional Hopi pottery of Arizona. Today, Hopi potters draw from generations of knowledge to create their beautiful, unique works of art. This design pays testament to this practice of learning from the past while moving into the future.

Shondina Lee Yikasbaa poses in traditional Dine clothing, family jewelry, and the Gift of the Earth blanket.

The College Fund Bankets

It joins a collection of blankets designed specifically for the American Indian College Fund, many of them designed by Native artists. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of College Fund blankets provides scholarships for Native students to attend tribal colleges and universities. The College Fund has been the nation’s largest philanthropic effort supporting Native American higher education for more than 25 years.

Shondina Lee Yikasbaa poses in traditional Dine clothing, family jewelry, and the Gift of the Earth blanket.

Today, slightly more than 13% of American Indians age 25 and older have a college degree, less than half the U.S. national average. What’s more, 40% of the American Indian population is under the age of 18.  The College Fund is helping more American Indians of college age to start and complete their college degree through scholarship support.  The College Fund also provides program support for students once they are in school to help them succeed both academically and in their careers.

Shondina Lee Yikasbaa poses in traditional Dine clothing, family jewelry, and the Gift of the Earth blanket.

“Pendleton is proud to be a part of the American Indian College Fund’s mission, and its purpose to transform Indian higher education,” said Mort Bishop, Pendleton President.  “By creating an awareness of the unique, community-based accredited Tribal Colleges and Universities and offering students access to knowledge, skills and cultural values, the College Fund enhances their communities and the country as a whole.”

Shondina Lee Yikasbaa poses in traditional Dine clothing, family jewelry, and the Gift of the Earth blanket.

About the American Indian College Fund

Founded in 1989, the American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native higher education for more than 25 years.  The College Fund has provided more than 100,000 scholarships since its inception and an average of 6,000 scholarships per year to American Indian students and a variety of programs to support their academic efforts ensuring they have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers.  The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators.  For more information, please visit www.collegefund.org.

To view the entire American Indian College Fund Collection, click here: The College Fund Blankets.

“Blessing Song” from the album Tribute to the Elders (CR-6318) by the Black Lodge Singers courtesy Canyon Records License 2017-023. All rights reserved.  www.CanyonRecords.com.

Photos courtesy of the always chic  Shondina Lee Yikasbaa

Shondina Lee Yikasbaa poses in traditional Dine clothing, family jewelry, and the Gift of the Earth blanket.

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The Peaceful Ones and Gift of the Earth

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2017 blankets inspired by Hopi culture

“Hopi” is a shortened form of Hopituh Shi-nu-mu, or, “The Peaceful Ones.” The Hopi reservation covers almost 2.5 million acres of northeastern Arizona, near the Four Corners area east of the Grand Canyon. The Hopi reservation is completely surrounded by the Navajo reservation. Its 14 villages sit on three rocky mesas; First Mesa, Second Mesa, and Third Mesa. The Hopis have lived here for over a thousand years. They follow a yearlong calendar of rituals and ceremonies, and carefully maintain their traditions.

The first blanket is our newest American Indian College Fund blankets, Gift of the Earth, which celebrates Hopi pottery.

Gift of the Earth

Pendleton Gift of the Earth blanket

The Hopi have a sacred relationship with the ancient caretaker of the earth, Masaw, and respect every gift given to them. The clay they and their ancestors have sourced from the land for centuries is treated with the utmost regard. Because of this, the Hopi people maintain a beautiful and unique pottery tradition on the mesas in Arizona. Craftsmanship and creativity drawn from generations of knowledge flow through the potters today as they work. This blanket draws on the design elements from these brilliant pieces as a testament to learning from the past while moving into the future.

An antique Hopi clay pot glazed in tones of gold, rust, and black. Photo by Holly Chervnsik, used with permission

(source – photo by Holly Chervnsik)

Interesting facts about Hopi pottery:

  • The golden hues of early Hopi pottery might have sparked the tales of fantastic wealth that lured early Spaniards to the Seven Cities of Cibola.
  • Smooth, symmetrical vessels might appear to be wheel-thrown, but are formed by hand through “coil and scrape.”
  • The most common shapes are shallow bowls and flat-shouldered jars.
  • Paints are made from natural materials, such as tansy mustard and beeweed.
  • Hopi pottery is open-fired with sheep dung and cedar.
  • Today, most pottery is made on First Mesa.

Like all our College Fund blankets, sales of Gift of the Earth help support scholarships to Native American Scholars. Learn more here: The College Fund. 

Our second Hopi-inspired blanket for 2017 is The Peaceful Ones.

The Peaceful Ones

Pendleton The Peaceful Ones blanket

They call themselves Hopi, a shortened version of their true name: Hopituh Shi-nu-mu, the Peaceful Ones. Members of this Southwest nation follow the Hopi Way, based on the instructions of Maasaw, the Creator and Caretaker of Earth. The Peaceful Ones strive to be mannered, polite, and peaceable in all interactions. Their path will eventually lead to a state of complete reverence for all things. This design is based on an embroidered Manta, the garment worn by Hopi women in ceremonies that follow the lunar calendar. Through their traditional ceremonies, the Peaceful Ones hope to bring tranquility and harmony to the entire world.

A traditional Hopi manta, next to two women wearing Mantas.

Interesting facts about the manta:

  • The manta is a rectangular cloth, fastened at the right shoulder and held by a sash.
  • Mantas were originally woven of undyed cotton. Over time, dyed threads and geometric patterns added beauty to the garment’s simple shape.
  • The practice of wearing blouses or shift dresses under mantas came much later, under pressure from missionaries.
  • Once the everyday wear of Navajo, Pueblo and Hopi women, the manta is now worn during important ceremonies.

We are excited to be sharing these blankets here: www.pendleton-usa.com.

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Pendleton and the College Fund -Blankets with a Cause

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Working together for an important cause

Pendleton has been supporting the goals of the American Indian College Fund for years. To understand why this makes us so proud, please watch this video.

If this is a cause you can get behind, you might want to consider our AICF blankets for 2015 as a way to contribute. Both blankets were designed by Larry Ahvakana (Nupiaq/Eskimo) from Barrow and Point Hope, Alaska.

Larry Ahvakana

Born in Fairbanks, Larry was raised in Point Barrow until the age of six, when his family moved to Anchorage. He left behind his grandparents, his native tongue, and many of the traditional cultural influences that had shaped his childhood. But these have re-emerged through his art, becoming the basis for his inspired work.

Larry has been a working artist since 1972. He graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He also studied at the Cooper Union School of Art in New York. He works in a variety of media, including stone, glass, bone, metal and wood. His masks bring tradition to life with mythic imagery in old-growth wood.

Larry is also widely recognized as an educator. He has instructed at the Institute of American Indian Art. He headed the Sculpture Studio at the Visual Arts Center in Anchorage, Alaska, and founded a teaching studio for glass blowing in Barrow, Alaska. His works are included in a large number of major museums, corporate collections, private art collections and as public art commissions.

Thunderbird and Whale child's blanket by Pendleton

Thunderbird and Whale Crib Blanket

The image on this baby blanket is inspired by the artwork of Larry Ahvakana and the Iñupiat legend of the Great Spirit Eagle. Legend states that there once was a massive thunderbird so large and powerful that it could hunt and carry a whale—the main source of sustenance for the Iñupiat. To honor the whale, the Iñupiat created the Messenger Feast. The ceremonial dancing and feasting prepares the community for the coming year and ensures the success of future generations. This blanket is a collaboration between Pendleton Woolen Mills and the American Indian College Fund to honor and reawaken a vital part of Native history. A portion of the proceeds will help provide scholarships for students attending tribal colleges.This blanket is a collaboration between Pendleton Woolen Mills and the American Indian College Fund.

The Return of the Sun blanket for the College Fund, by Pendleton

The Return of the Sun Blanket

The traditions and activities of the Iñupiat, today, as in the past, revolve around the changing of the seasons. This blanket, inspired by the artwork of Larry Ahvakana, celebrates the arrival of the sun back to the Arctic and the start of hunting season. The Iñupiat mark this special time with the Messenger Feast—a ceremony where the spirits of the past season’s harvest are ushered back into the spirit world. Today, the celebration fosters cultural pride and the regeneration of traditional values. This blanket is a collaboration between Pendleton Woolen Mills and the American Indian College Fund to honor and reawaken a vital part of Native history.

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Macklemore: a Northwest Artist with Pendleton Wool

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Deep Roots

Macklemore is originally from Seattle, WA. Maybe that’s why his videos use Pendleton wool  letting us act as a signifier for the west and the wilderness.  We’re glad he hasn’t forgotten his Pacific Northwest roots.

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The train seats are upholstered with our Canyonlands fabric, and bring to mind the Portland Express run by AMTRAK last year. The blanket on the camel (okay, so maybe we don’t get that one, either) is one that benefits the American Indian College Fund called the Earth blanket.

The First Cut is the Deepest

These are both great songs, but we’re still partial to his first big hit, which also celebrates a Portland passion; going to the thrift store. We don’t have anything in this one, but hey, don’t you love finding Pendleton when you’re thrifting?

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Three Corn Maidens

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College Fund blankets

Three Corn Maidens blanket for the College Fund, by Pendleton

The Three Corn Maidens blanket is part of our series for the American Indian College Fund. The Three Corn Maidens design tells the story of the Pueblo people’s belief that just as the sun gives life to the corn, the Corn Maidens bring the power of life to the people. The blanket was designed by Isleta Pueblo artist Mary Beth Jiron as a celebration of her acceptance into the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Jiron attributes the concept to visions she had and the desire to tell a story from her own culture in which corn is the staff of life and often the center of ceremony. Three Corn Maidens is the second design in the American Indian College Fund’s series of student-designed blankets. The Three Corn Maidens design won first place in the student blanket contest.

A Good Cause

Since 1995, Pendleton Woolen Mill’s support of the American Indian College Fund (the Fund) has helped more than 400 students pursue their dreams of obtaining a college degree through the Pendleton Woolen Mills Tribal College Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships to American Indian students attending tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) in Washington and Montana, and the Pendleton Endowment Tribal Scholars Program, which provides scholarships in perpetuity to Native students attending TCUs throughout the United States.

“We are always inspired by the individual stories of struggle and triumph of the students who receive the scholarships,” said Robert Christnacht, Pendleton Home Division Manager. “Pendleton is honored to be able to contribute to the long-term growth of the tribal college system through the American Indian College Fund.”

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Six You Don’t Want to Miss

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Get them while you can!

Here’s a list of six special Pendleton blankets that are retiring soon.

1. New Mexico Centennial

New Mexico Centennial blanket

The New Mexico Centennial blanket is designed around the red Zia sun symbol, in which the Circle of Life binds together elements: four winds, four seasons, four directions and four sacred obligations. The blanket has a clean, graphic beauty. This is a limited edition, with very limited availability from Pendleton the Courtyard, located at 1100 San Mateo NE, Albuquerque, NM.  505.232.0088.

2. Keep My Fires Burning

Keep-MyFires Burning blanket

Keep My Fires Burning pays tribute to Native American storytellers, who fill an important cultural role in each tribe by passing on traditions of healing, song, ceremony, dance and most importantly, creation. Storytellers interpret tales taught to them by their elders, and adding their own experiences to create sacred and living narratives that span generations.

Maria Martinez for AICF 20th Anniversary Blanket

3. AICF 20th Anniversary by Maria Martinez

This blanket, based on the work of the late ceramic artist Maria Martinez , pays tribute to her artistry with Pueblo Indian Pottery. Her black-on-black pottery reached new heights in artistic expression, skill and technique. This blanket honors the 20th Anniversary of the American Indian College Fund, and reminds us that we can only reach new heights together.

Sunrise Song blanket

4. Sunrise Song Heritage

Sunrise Song uses the brilliant colors of daybreak to represent the Sunrise Ceremony that is common to many Native American tribes. The people gather, wrapped in blankets and facing the East, to greet the Morning Star with dance, prayer and song. Together, they give thanks for another day of life.

5. Sugpiaq Umaq

Sugpiaq Imaq blanket

Sugpiaq Umaq, with a design based on ancestral art created by Kodiak craftsman and artist Jerry Laktonen, celebrates a rebirth of the Alutiiq people culture of Native Alaskans indigenous to Kodiak Island and parts of the mainland. Sugpiaq means “the real people,” and Imaq means “ocean.” The bold rising sun mask represents the Alutiq cultural resurgence and Alaska’s midnight sun. Sea life swims around the sun, while Alutiiq kayaks travel across the top and bottom of blanket.

6. Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady Of Guadalupe blanket

Our Lady of Guadalupe portrays the radiance and beauty of Mexico’s popular religious and cultural image. Since 1531, Our Lady’s icon has resided in the Basilica of Guadalupe, extending her promise of love, compassion and protection to all.

We are here to help.

If you need help with tracking down any retired blanket, please call our Pendleton Home Store at 503.535.5444. Our expert associates can often help you when all else has failed!

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