Indian Trading Blanket History
Fpatagonia womens shoes salerom the 1909 purchase of a scouring mill at the railhead along the Oregon Trail in Pendleton, Oregon, through lean years during the Great Depression and the war years when the company produced blankets for the military, to the present time, the Bishop family has produced Indian blankets, robes and shawls which are highly prized by much of the Native American population.
One of the reasons for the popularity of these products is the care taken by the pattern designers to learn about the native mythologies and design preferences of their customers. In the earliest years, Joe Rawnsley, who was considered a gifted talent on the jacquard loom, spent time with the local natives of northeastern Oregon to develop preferences of color and design (we now call this market research ). He would then interpret the ideas gleaned from the napatagonia footwear nomad gtx reviewtive peoples into blanketpatagonia men's reversible flannel jacket review designs using modern technologies that could exppatagonia guide light pantsress pattern ideas in much greater detail and in more vivid coloration s than could be expressed by traditional weaving methods.
With the success of these first designs, Mr. Rawnsley spent six months in the native Southwest developing ideas for designs which might specifically appeal to the tribes of this region. He returned with hundreds of designs to be interpreted into his weaving processes.
In pre Columbus North America, blankets were made from hides or pelts of smaller animals which had been sewn together or woven from wool, feathers, down, bark and cotton and, in some areas, shredded cedapatagonia everlong review world1r bark. When the Europeans came to this country and bartered with the native peoples, wool blankets had great value in trading and the brpatagonia everlong review world0ighter the better. Most of the earlier trading blankets were plaids and block designs like the traditional Hudson s Bay blankets. Jacquard loomed Pendleton Indian blankets with their brilliant colors and sharp details became very popular after their introduction into what was known as the Indian trade .
Car loads of blankets traveled from Pendleton, Oregon to the Southwest tribes to be exchanged for silver jewelry, wool or other items of value. The colorful blankets were integrated into everyday and ceremonial uses; part of a dowry, weddings, gift giving, pow wows, dance prizes, naming ceremonies, funerals and patagonia everlong review worldmemorials (sometimes blankets are packed in a coffipatagonia everlong review 300n or a coffin is lined with a blanket to keep the loved one warm on his journey).
The value of the blanket is practical from an economic standpoint. For a time, there were two patagonia guide jacket invitationsthings acquired by young pepatagonia guide jacket ladiesople for security in case ofpatagonia guide jacket quiksilver economic hardship; a Bulova watch for a manpatagonia everlong review world2 and a good blanket for a woman; either one of which could be pawned for a fair amount of money to tide them over to better times. Rarely did the owner not return to reclaim the blanket as soon as possible.
During the past 25 years, Pendleton Woolen Mills has developed a series of Legendary blankets which are based on the beliepatagonia everlong review world3fs and traditions of their original and most vpatagonia military clothing storealued customers.
