Welcome to our Back To School Giveaway!
đ Thanks to Pendleton, we're giving away 3 incredible prizes! đ
Enter daily for more chances to win. đïžâš
Summer's over, and it's time to head back to school! đđ To celebrate, we want to honor all the students returning to the classroom this year. Wishing everyone an amazing year ahead! đ
We're also shining a spotlight on the American Indian College Fund. đ Thanks to their scholarship program, many students have doors opened to them. They've awarded over $300 million to Native students! đ°đ
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American Indian College Fund
Pendleton has been supporting the work of the College Fund through the sale of special blankets since 1995, and has provided over $2.6 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 nationâs largest nonprofit supporting Native higher education for 33 years. The College Fund believes âEducation is the answerâ. Since its founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than $345 million in scholarships, program, community, and tribal college support. The College Fund also supports a variety of academic and support programs at the nationâs 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.
Prizes
Sponsored by Pendleton!
- 1st Place – Directions Home Blanket
- 2nd Place – Morning Storm Blanket
- 3rd Place – American Indian College Fund Mug Set
Contest Entry Form
About Prizes
Morning Storm Blanket
In 1865, a young beader created this design for her own moccasins and leggings. Generations later, Cydnee Shangreaux has translated her fourth-great grandmotherâs pattern to tell the Morning Storm story. Two borders of Morning Stars represent a long life with many winters. Steps represent a journey, with the two dots on either side signifying a good life from childhood to adulthood. Thunderbirds serve as messengers along the way, carrying songs through the storm.
Cydnee Shangreaux (Oglala Sioux) is a beadwork artist who was inspired to preserve her familyâs bead patterns by the passing of several older relatives. âMorning Stormâ was created by her great-great-great-great grandmother, Selena Marshall, for her own moccasins and leggings. These were passed down through the maternal line until they reached Cydnee. Cydnee is a resident of Pine Ridge, South Dakota, and student at Oglala Lakota College studying Office Technology. âAs the first grandchild to be interested in these family patterns, I use my art to tell stories of my life, family, and the places I enjoy.â
Directions Home Blanket
The plight of homeless veterans inspired Troy Tso (DinĂ©), a fine arts and graphic design graduate of DinĂ© College, to consider the meaning of home. His designâs center is a Hogan, a traditional DinĂ© structure of wood and earth. The roofâs constructionâshown from the inside looking upâis surrounded by the four mountains that bound the Navajo Nation: DibĂ© Ntsaa (Hesperus Peak), Sisnaajini (Blanca Peak), Tsoodzil (Mount Taylor), and Dookâoâoosliid (the San Francisco Peaks).
Troy Tso is a DinĂ© (Navajo) artist raised in the community of Burntcorn Valley, Arizona. His clans are Coyote Pass-Jemez (MÄ âĂĂdeeshgĂĂzhĂnĂĂ), Red Running into Water people (TĂĄchiiânii), Tangle (Taâneeszahni), and Mexican (Naakai dineâĂ©). Tso is inspired by family and influenced by DinĂ© He began drawing at a young age, and has progressed from sketching to graphic art and design with ideas that come from living each day as DinĂ©. âArt has the responsibility to heal and inspire.â
American Indian College Fund Mug Set
Unity
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 (Pasqua First Nations Plains Cree/Salteaux) is an artist from Montanaâs Fort Peck Indian Reservation. As a College Fund scholar, she studies Business Administration at Fort Peck Community College, with plans to graduate in 2021. She is a self-taught contemporary ledger artist, beader, graphic designer and painter, influenced by her family and culture. âI work with many mediums to share my personal teachings, beliefs, stories and visions with the people.â
Water
This blanket was inspired by a photograph taken by historic photographer Edward S. Curtis. It incorporates classic sawtoothed lines and the dragonfly, an emblem of water and symbol of life.
Courage to Bloom
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 lifeâs spiritual journey through the most difficult circumstances. Designer Deshawna Anderson (White Mountain Apache/Crow) is a College Fund scholar. âCourage to Bloomâ is the inaugural winner of the student competition for the American Indian College Fund blanket design.
Deshawna Anderson (White Mountain Apache/Crow) attends Little Big Horn College in Crow Agency, Montana, where she studies Business Administration as an American Indian College fund scholar. She is of the Butterfly Clan and a child of the Greasy Mouth. As a visual learner, she became interested in art as a tool to educate the viewer on the perspective of its creator. Influenced by Apache and Crow culture from the Crazy Mountains to Salt River Canyon, she also draws inspiration from historic and contemporary burden baskets, beadwork, quillwork, and attire. Her design, âCourage to Bloom,â chosen from a field of 48 entries, is the inaugural winner of the College Fund blanket design contest.
Many Nations
Many Nations pays tribute to the Indigenous person representing more than one tribe. An indigenized version of DNA frames the initials âMâ and âBâ to create a symbol for âmixtblood.â The hourglass shape represents the TsiiyĂ©eĆ, 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 (DinĂ©/Laguna Pueblo/Pascua Yaqui) is based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is currently working as a designer, muralist, and educator, and attends DinĂ© College, majoring in Fine Arts with an emphasis in Design. 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.”
Previous Giveaway
See winners of past giveaways.
Last Updated on August 22, 2024 by Paul G
Debra woods
says:It wonât send when t push enter with my information
Paul G
says:Please try with a different browser.
Rosemary
says:wow
Grace
says:Happy you Won ! The 19 th was my Birthday, Iâll remember you enjoy your gift!
Carl
says:wow
Thunder
says:Please e-mail me the winners’ list for the PowWows.com Sweepstakes.
Paul G
says:I’ll be drawing the winners live later today.
Donna Clifford
says:really beautiful!
Kimberly Fisanick
says:I would love to go to a POW WOW! But I donât think they ever have any near me. I donât ever win anything. I hope I win! It would be the perfect first time when. To win a blanket or anything, that my ancestors would do!
Paul G
says:Where do you live? There are Pow Wows in all 50 states! Look here – https://www.powwows.com/pow-wows-in-my-state-pow-wow-calendar/
MARTHA N. FARRELLBEGG
says:I LOVE ALL NATIVE TRIBES AND WISH THEM ALL THE BEST !!
janine zumerchik
says:the Flyer is beautiful and the artist is talented! thanks for sharing
janine zumerchik
says:thankyou
janine zumerchik
says:long live turtle island ~ much love
Roxanne Rice
says:LOVE the poster! Where can I get a copy?
Brings back my nostalgic adolescenceâ„ïž
Paul G
says:They sell them at gatheringofnations.com and at the pow wow.
Melissa Slaughter
says:I pray to own 1 of the blankets 1 day!! Iâm Cherokee
Gloria Washee
says:This blanket is really pretty, and I wouldn’t mind having it.
Diana SingingHorse
says:You’ve made trying to win a blanket a little more difficult for us seniors! We don’t understand all the computer stuff like the youngsters do, but would like to win anyhow. Thanks for continuing to have the raffle.
Paul G
says:I’m sorry you are having issues. This month I tested a new software. Next month I’m going back to the one I usually use.
Try using a different browser for now.
Debera Smith
says:Having trouble trying to enter the Give Away. I cannot get to it. Please just enter me on your end. This has gotten harder for senior veterans.
Paul G
says:Sorry I can’t enter for you.
If you have trouble try a different browser or computer.
Diana SingingHorse
says:Thank you for going back to the setting you used to use. Now I can try again âșïž
Paul G
says:Good luck!
Jennifer D
says:I love the info from this page. But like you, I have a hard time entering the contests or reading the articles. My computer usually freezes once I click on the link then I have to start all over.
Paul G
says:Sorry to hear that. What browser and computer are you using?
Katie Anne Jung
says:I can never get to the entry form for the giveaways anymore.
Paul G
says:Sorry can you try a different browser?
JON BRIEL (Amangipohanasin.)
says:This is the first time I’ve found out about Powwow’s. Most of mine have been word of mouth. This way more people will know when and where. Fantastic idea.
Paul G
says:Welcome! Glad you found us!
Thanks for writing!
You can find out about upcoming Pow Wows by visiting:
https://www.powwows.com/pow-wows-in-my-state-pow-wow-calendar/
The calendar is constantly updated, so check back often.
You can search by date or keyword:
http://www.powwows.com/calendar
Thanks,
Paul G
PowWows.com
Mary Murphy
says:Can’t seem to answer questions for the blanket. Was giveth #506305.
Paul G
says:Try a different browser if you are having trouble.
Jeanne Moskal
says:I enjoy reading the Pow Wows.com articles within each email that I receive. Thank you for being here.
Paul G
says:Thanks!
Michael Herber
says:Paul, Can’t remember if I have seen an article about Native American Charities on your web site or not. Please consider as a future possibly or revisit if already done at some point this year. I bumped into Partnership With Native Americans ( PWNA ) in Assison, TX recently and they seem to have a lot of good things that they are doing. They also scored 100 on Charity Navigator website. Thanks for reading and considering.
Paul G
says:Take a look here – https://www.powwows.com/giving-tuesday/
Michael Herber
says:Good to see Paul. I must have missed that posting in last November. I think yearly at that time is NOT over doing it.
Paul G
says:Thanks!
Cindy Fountain, Social Justice Council Chair
says:Thanks to you and Paul for the charitable information! It’s because of the CEO and President of Partnership with Native Americans, Josh Arce, that I googled Pow Wows and found powwows.com. Josh spoke at my church last October in Fort Worth, TX. He encouraged us to learn about and support our Native American community by attending a Pow Wow. Our church is making plans to attend the UT-Arlington Native American Student Association 28th Annual Pow Wow, March 2.
maery callaghan
says:what a great accomplishment !
Paul G
says:Thanks!
Mickey Cain
says:I don’t do Facebook or Twitter or x , if I did win how would I be notified
Paul G
says:Make sure you are subscribed to our newsletter, we put all our info there!
Linda Elliott
says:Hello, Iâm from the Cowichan Tribe on Vancouver Island but I live in California. Enjoy your day and Walk In Beauty.
George Nasse
says:I’m so very pleased to be a witness to increasingly remarkable advances of Indigenous people in every area of chosen advancements of Life!
Sandi Fioti
says:This is so awesome. I hope there is a Pow Wow near me this year. The Red River Pow Wow was here every year, when we moved from Tucson to Idaho. But there hasn’t been one for the last couple years. They’re on the other side of Idaho now. I don’t drive much so not able to get there.
Paul G
says:Thanks for writing!
You can find out about upcoming Pow Wows by visiting:
https://www.powwows.com/pow-wows-in-my-state-pow-wow-calendar/
The calendar is constantly updated, so check back often.
You can search by date or keyword:
http://www.powwows.com/calendar
Thanks,
Paul G
PowWows.com
Dawn
says:Congrats!
Paul G
says:Thanks!