2024 Explore Native Giveaway – Native American Heritage Month Challenge

Welcome to the 2024 Explore Native Challenge for Native American Heritage Month.

The Explore Native Challenge is all about helping you dive deeper into Native American culture. Each day during the giveaway, I'll send out fun and inspiring emails with new things for you to watch, read, and experience. 📚🎥✨

🗓 The contest runs from October 1 to December 15, 2024—mark your calendars!

A big thanks to our sponsor, Eighth Generation 🙌 for their support! 

10 prizes will be awarded to 10 different people – good luck!

Remember, you can visit the contest page daily for more ways to enter. The more entries you have, the better your chances of winning. Although winners are chosen by random draw, entering daily and using bonus entry codes can really boost your odds!

Throughout the giveaway, I'll be sending you some emails with fun and interesting ways to explore Native American culture. You'll get one email per day for the giveaway, and occasionally, you might receive an extra one from our regular newsletters.>Don’t forget to click the links in these emails to find bonus codes!

And look for bonus codes in our live videos, social media, website and more!

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Prizes

• 1st Place – Spider Woman North Winds Blanket
• 2nd Place – Prosperity Wool Blanket
• 3rd Place – Reflection Wood Blanket
• 4th Place – Desert Night Cotton Blanket
• 5th Place – Classic Woodland Throw Blanket
• 6th Place – River of Flowers Earrings
• 7th Place – Corn Tassel Earring
• 8th Place – Good Life Headband
• 9th Place – Inspired Pen Set
• 10th Place – Bluebell Crew Socks

Photos and descriptions are listed below.

Unboxing Video

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2024 Explore Native Challenge Entry Form

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About Eighth Generation

Eighth Generation is a Seattle-based art and lifestyle brand owned by the Snoqualmie Tribe. The first Native-owned company to ever produce wool blankets, Eighth Generation now produces a line of “Gold Label” wool blankets and scarves which are made in their Seattle studio.  

Their flagship retail store in Seattle's iconic Pike Place Market is an immersive in-person shopping experience, while Eighth Generation's robust online offerings make them a proud participant in the global economy. Eighth Generation provides a strong, ethical alternative to “Native-inspired” art and products through its artist-centric approach and 100% Native-designed products. Their Inspired Natives™ Project, anchored by the tagline “Inspired Natives™, not Native-inspired,” builds business capacity among cultural artists while addressing the economic impact of cultural appropriation.

Visit 8th Generation's Shop

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Explore Native Challenge Prizes From Eighth Generation

Spider Woman Wool Blanket – North Winds Series

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 Diné/Navajo women to weave woolen blankets and rugs so their people could survive winter: Spider Woman's teachings founded the incredible Diné/Navajo 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.”  

Prosperity Wool Blanket

Blue for our homeland’s rivers. Red for the blood of our warriors. Old-style pink that was traditionally only acquired through trade with neighboring tribes. Nimíipuu (Nez Perce) artist Mikailah Thompson chose the colors of our Prosperity Wool Blanket based on traditional nimíipuu beadwork, while creating a blanket that honors the incredibly important work that Native organization Potlatch Fund does today.

Since 2002, Potlatch Fund has provided grants and leadership development to tribal nations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, granting over $5 million in support to Indian Country. While Native American communities receive less than half of one percent of philanthropic dollars in the United States, Potlatch Fund works to connect the Northwest’s Native communities to nonprofits, grant opportunities, and funding resources that address issues of poverty, unemployment, and healthcare. In this way, Potlatch Fund helps Native communities thrive so that they can continue to pass on culture, traditions, and values to the next generations of Native leaders, thinkers, and community members.  

The design of Prosperity Wool Blanket is based on a large-scale beaded canvas that Mikailah created. The colors of her original beaded piece as well as this blanket were very specifically chosen. “Colors have always held a strong meaning to the nimíipuu people based on location and availability during trade in the nineteenth century,” shares Mikailah. “Many of the colors found in this blanket are the bead colors nimíipuu artists first had access to when we began beading.”

Classic Woodland Throw Blanket

The Classic Woodland Throw Blanket was designed by Inspired Natives® Project collaborator Sarah Agaton Howes (Anishinaabe), who is known for her beautiful bead work, moccasins and regalia. With this design, she intends to remind us of the beauty and reinvigorating energy of spring time.

The vibrant blanket features numerous design elements indicative of traditional Anishinaabe flora, including the ode'imin (strawberry), manoomin (wild rice), miinan (blueberry), and bimaakwad (the vine) showing us the connection of all things.

Desert Night Cotton Blend Blanket 

The burnt orange of sun-warmed sandstone fades into dark gray as night rises in the desert. The deep hues of the plant life at night appear black in the moonlight, and the white stripe of the Milky Way shines overhead. “I see the desert at night in this palate,” says Acoma Pueblo artist Michelle Lowden of the specific colors used in her gorgeous Desert Night Cotton Blend Blanket. “There’s no electricity on the mesa, which means the night sky is full of stars. You see the desert colors washed by moon- and starlight.” 

In this modern iteration of millennia-old designs, Michelle pays homage to the Pueblo pottery of her ancestors in the geometric patterns on our Native-designed blanket. “Many of the patterns here are from our pottery,” shares Michelle. “The three curved feathers are a classic eagle feather design; my maternal grandfather is Eagle Clan. The small triangles are deer tracks, while the bands show the mountains of New Mexico.” 

“The triangular spiral is a really important design,” says Michelle. “It’s called the ‘Chacoan spike,’ and is found on a lot of pottery from the Chaco Canyon region. It represents the migratory pattern of how my people migrated from Chaco to Acoma.”

Our hope is that you feel as warm as desert sandstone wrapped in our Desert Night Cotton Blend Blanket. Made of a cotton and acrylic blend, the cotton-blend blankets in our Welcome Blanket Series are machine-washable, making them perfect for families with kids and pets, or for anyone who wants the warmth and coziness of a plush blanket without wool. 

Reflection Wool Blanket

This beautiful statement blanket was designed by Inspired Natives® Project collaborator, Michelle Lowden (Acoma Pueblo).

The “Reflection” blanket represents the prayer for rain. During monsoon season, the cisterns at Acoma become full again. It is then the people visit the cisterns to gather water for drinking. When you look down to see the cisterns full and you are met with your reflection, you can't help but smile with gratitude. It is a reminder that “water is life.” The design features Acoma Pueblo abstract symbols representing mountains, clouds, and rain.

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River of Flowers Earrings

Waves of mother-of-pearl inlay wash over golden blossoms and geometric accents in our River of Flowers Earrings designed by Shoshone-Bannock artist Kira Murillo. A world-renowned tattoo artist, Kira is known for her signature combination of candy-colored florals and traditional geometrics inspired by her community's beadwork and regalia. Her special style of pattern mixing is instantly recognizable, and she's brought that same sensibility to jewelry design.

Our drop-style River of Flowers Earrings are cleverly assembled so that they gently swing with each step you take, conjuring images of a wildflower meadow in the wind or a sparkling running river.  

Corn Tassel Earring

From small kernels, great things grow. In Navajo culture in particular, corn is revered as both a food source and sacred part of certain ceremonies. In his Corn Tassel Earrings, Jared Yazzie (Diné/Navajo) beautifully portrays a staple of Navajo and Native American communities that also symbolizes human growth.

On a field of blue mother-of-pearl, a mighty cornstalk grows from a fertile field and is crowned with a golden tassel. Ripe ears of corn are ready for harvest, nourishing the community for another year and reminding you of your own growth. What seeds have you planted? What are you growing from, and what do you want to grow into?

In a unique twist, Jared has designed these earrings to be just as beautiful on the back as they are on the front. The reverse of his Corn Tassel Earrings features an embossed design that combines symbols for mountains and rain, combining the landscape of Jared's home with both the corn and rain that give life.

Good Life Headband

The warmth of wool meets the significance of sustainability in our collection of Upcycled Wool Beanies and Headbands. Made from our Gold Label Throw Blankets, each hat is a unique piece of wearable Native art.

We knit our entire Gold Label line of wool blankets and scarves in-house. With any textile manufacturing process there are instances where our blankets come off the machines only partially knit, such as when the yarn breaks or the machine skips a stitch and leaves a hole. These partial blankets are still luxurious pieces of fabric, so we have been saving them until we found a way to repurpose them. 

Enter: our Upcycled Wool Beanies and Headbands. 

Using our Gold Label blanket scraps, we have created a line of cozy headwear, reducing waste while giving you another way to accessorize with authentic Native designs. Our talented team sews these beanies and headbands here in Seattle, and you end up with a unique piece of wearable art made from the softest merino wool. “Our Upcycled Wool Headbands have a wide variety of patterns on them, since they're made from the more interior portions of blankets,” shares Eighth Generation's Textile Production Manager, Rebecca Morse.  “I love this because our customers will receive a one-of-a-kind piece, and we get to keep the maximum amount of fabric from going to waste.”

Inspired Pen Set

Your writing is sure to be inspired when you use our Inspired Pen Set! Featuring five pens—one design by each of our Inspired Natives® Artists—this stunning set will take pride of place on your desk. Separated, these pens make great individual gifts for your office besties or stocking stuffers for your favorite family members.  

Packaged in a sleek black box, your Inspired Pen Set includes:

• Coast Salish Pattern by Louie Gong (Nooksack)
• Wild Plums by Sarah Agaton Howes (Anishinaabe/Ojibwe)
• Pathway Home by Michelle Lowden (Acoma Pueblo) 
• Bear Claws by John Isaiah Pepion (Piikani/Blackfeet)
• Tribute by Jared Yazzie (Diné/Navajo) 

Each black ink, rollerball pen has gold metallic accents and a matching cap.  

Bluebell Crew Socks

In shades of summer sky blue and buttercup yellow, our Bluebell Crew Socks by Shoshone-Bannock Kira Murillo brighten each step. Her signature combination of Shoshone-Bannock florals and traditional geometrics blend with a soft blue palette and bold black accents, and are banded by a darker blue toe and cuff. A world-renowned tattoo artist with a waiting list booked over a year in advance, Kira's work is instantly recognizable for its playful use of colors and shapes.

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Explore Native Challenge

Bonus Code – 3507293

Last Updated on October 8, 2024 by Paul G