NATIVE AMERICAN PENDLETON GUIDE

Since 1909, Pendleton Woolen Mills has produced iconic woolens of incredible beauty and quality. The blankets are made in Pendleton’s American mills, where every step of the weaving process is completed, from carding and spinning to the weaving of yarn into fabric on high-speed looms. Pendleton’s first Indian trade blanket was produced in 1909 at the company’s mill in Oregon. The blankets were brought to Southwest Native American tribes and exchanged for silver jewelry, wool or other items of value. Pendleton designers drew upon traditional Native American patterns to create blankets that were more colorful and detailed than earlier trading blankets brought to the region. Southwestern Native American tribes used the blankets as apparel and as a standard of value for trading and credit. They were also prized for ceremonial uses, playing a part in dowries, weddings, gift giving, powwows, dance prizes, naming ceremonies, funerals and memorials. Still renowned for their intricate patterns and premium quality, Pendleton blankets are a unique collectible that can be passed down to future generations.