Really thoughtful post. I think you have a right to be offended, and they also have the right to sell the items. It is a bit classless though. Some of my concerns could be assuaged if the designers made a donation to Native American communities or did some kind of awareness project.

Bah, I have the same reaction to this that I would to a post by a hipster OUTRAGED that they saw a Native American riding a fixie and drinking a Narragansett.

You don't have a right to be upset.

Well, not beig native or american myself I can't really pass judgement, but it seems to me that there is cause to worry once you stop communicating to specific groups and start to talk about them. Just the prices are worrying, since it's a use of the patterns that most people who are connected to them aren't expscted to afford the products. I can imagine that spreading the pattern doesn't do much for awareness either; at best it's exoticism, and at worst the patterns could be assmimilated to the hegemonic culture.

I agree with you but this area is so very grey. I was never comfortable with Native American designs outside of their appropriate "environments" and now that fashion has dictated that it's "in", it just makes me roll my eyes. Native American culture shouldn't be a motif, yet we do it with all cultures; Asian, African, etc. I remember how much I loved my platform asian flip-flops back when they were "in".

Somehow it feels a bit different when it's Native American and it's probably because of what you said; it feels like one more thing that we're taking instead of honoring.

You do have the right to be upset, and I living in my privilege have no right to tell you not to be. And yet for me - personally for me - this feels consistently less bad than many of the other appropriations you feature in your blog.

What's missing here is one element of power - the ascriptive one. Dreamcatchers, fake native-american jewelry, stereotype native characters in popular culture are certainly stealing and warping Native American heritage, but they're also in effect staking a claim as to what that heritage is - the powerful majority society is using appropriation to ascribe certain simplified, stereotypical, often negative features to the minority. The idea of The Noble Savage or whatever may be a feature of a certain subset of the eurocentric elite, but in its interactions with the rest of the world it sure as hell influences everyone else as well.

This is sort of different. To a certain extent it's done at a much more equal level, in close co-operation with the company that while not Native-owned is certainly Native-associated and Native-business-dependent. But it's also not presuming to be anything "authentic", and in the very fact that these are indeed nice items there's a subtlety that goes beyond stereotype, a juxtaposition of several alternative modernities and traditions that makes it less clearly about "teaching Native Americans their place". To take an example from my own field: there's a huge deal of difference, to my mind, between European music that admiringly and attentively borrows contemporary Central African rhythms in active musical exchange with parts of the diaspora, versus European music that's full of Hollywood stereotypes about Africa and monkey noises. Remember that these blankets were created in a transcultural space to begin with!

Pendleton's other standard motif is plaid. This post inspires parallel questions: Does the proliferation of plaid clothing in fashion amount to appropriation of Scottish tartan? Have hundreds of years of using variations on this type of pattern detracted from the original cultural meaning?

'I was never comfortable with Native American designs outside of their appropriate “environments”' What are their appropriate "environment"?

I feel uncomfortable with the notion that cultural artifacts have "appropriate 'environments,'" which just seems to be stepping too close to notions of purity and pollution. I wear mocassins, although I'm not Native American; I think a mocassin is great footwear, and easy to make at home. These designs are beautiful, and if I were a better weaver than I am, I would no doubt attempt something like it. But maybe purity and pollution is what is at stake here? Does the fact that Pendleton designs are used by an 'outside' group somehow pollute their status with the 'insider' group?

Seriously? You have to ask if you have a right to be upset because other people like the same designs and patterns that you do? Answer: Yes, you have the right to get upset about anything you please, just like everyone else. Will it make you look foolish to do so? Also yes.

I've never understood why certain aesthetics are supposed to somehow belong to certian people/cultures.And I don't mean to be rude, but I've never had anyone explain it to me in a way that makes sense to me.

I understand that there are traditions and religions tied up in some symbols and that there may be a case for being sensitive about this and not blatantly desanctifiying the sanctified.

But the idea that "my culture used patterns like that first! You can't do it ever now!" is a little weird to me.

I am Native American and an avid reader of Adrienne's blog on Native Appropriations. I am Eastern Cherokee and Choctaw and my husband is Ojibwa (The word most would know is Chippewa which is an adulteration of Ojibwa.) My feelings are also mixed on this issue. The patterns are beautiful but the cost is prohibitive. I don't own one because they simply cost too much, but I do understand that the colors and patterns MEAN something. The fact that many who wear the patterns because they look pretty, but have no idea that they actually mean something, is sad to me. I also believe that someone who is not of a particular culture does not have the right to tell someone who is from that culture what they can and cannot be offended by. There is a link to a racial "bingo" card on Adrienne's blog that I have referred others to. The card shows that we are used to hearing such things. It's not anything new to be told we don't have a right to be offended by something. The same people who say such things are often offended themselves when someone misuses, or shows a lack of understanding of, something from their own culture or religion. (Spirituality is woven throughout most Native American cultures and many fail to understand that. Yes I said cultures. There are over 500 separate native nations. We may have similarities, and fight some of the same battles, but we are not all the same.) Specific patterns and colors can have a special significance to particular native nations and even to specific families. I think part of the problem is that some fail to realize that native cultures are complex and intricate. We are not the simple human beings in feathers and leather that old movies would have many believe. There is a lot more to us than that. If more people would make a real effort to learn about us, instead of thinking they know, it might help. (For example, we never call our men "braves" or our clothing a "costume" and squaw does NOT mean woman!) Just my two cents.

I like this article. That's really all I have to say, but I really, really like it.

These Pendleton blankets were used as basic wearing apparel and as a standard of value for trading and credit among Native Americans. The blankets also became prized for ceremonial use.
...
It’s almost a symbiotic relationship — they saw a market in Native communities, and Native communities stepped up and bought, traded, and sold the blankets, incorporating them into “traditional” cultural activities.

I remain a little confused about the actual origins of these blankets ... From this post (both what you wrote and what you quoted) it sounds like these particular designs/blankets weren't around before Pendleton created them -- they sort of incorporated and included existing native designs and aesthetics (a collaborative process, from the sound of it?) and then people really liked the blankets and adopted the "Pendleton blanket" as a native thing.

Did I misunderstand? I'm not saying there is no appropriation going on or anything like that, I'm just confused as to who sort of "owns" the designs -- is this a matter of taking someone's important cultural items and selling them outside the culture, or has it been a commercial endeavor the whole time and Pendleton is just expanding their market (but to the detriment of people who had meanwhile incorporated the product into their traditions and saw it as "theirs" now)?

I once heard Pete Seeger say "plagiarism is basic to all culture." Maybe appropriation of other cultures is too. Here's what I would ask:

1. What happens when I buy the product? Am I paying someone who's exploiting a weaver, for example? Am I enriching the people who are destroying the culture that created the art in the first place?

2. Do I look like an asshole when I use the item? If it's an object with a sacred meaning, and sitting on it cleaning fish, yeah, maybe I'm the wrong guy to own that object. I'm an atheist, so I don't believe anything is actually sacred, but I'm not going to deliberately offend people for no reason.

I grew up with the Bishop family, who co-owned Pendleton Woollen Mills for many many years. I'm not sure if they are still in control. The original creation of several of their native designs was, indeed, to make them attractive to native americans and in native markets. Many of these items shown are traditional Pendleton designs.

The business has been in business for nearly 150 years.

You have a right to be upset which will easily be resolved when Pendleton's financial donations to Native American community organizations increases proportionately to the revenue gained from the increased cost of their new products and their licensing revenue from Urban Outfitters et al.

I feel an equal amount of outrage when kancheepuram designs used on temple goddesses in India are converted to exotic silk throws, scarves and accetuated pillows covers for western consumers. But there is also a local industry thriving on this interest and at some level they are converting their cultural heritage and sharing it with others.
I think i am more enraged when a western conglomerate or designer trawls our waters for things to rip off and replicate from without a regard for its inherent symbolic value.

Am I allowed to eat Mexican food? Am I allowed to make Mexican food? What if I enjoy it? What about Chinese food? I am just thinking of things I take from a culture I don't belong to, or from an ethnicity that's not mine. Can I be offended that Olive Garden appropriates "Italian" restaurant food in a superficial and commercial way, or just offended that their food is gross? Offended that they market themselves as a good place to eat with your family, or that they make themselves seem like the only good place to eat with your family? Unlimited breadsticks? Does the waiter say "whatsa-matta-fo-you?" Probably not that bad, just the food. Offended that people still like to go there and think that the food is really good real Italian food? What is "Italian" about it, and what isn't? Do the people or patrons have to be Italian, are the recipes they use Italian?

Just wondering so many things I wondered - because if this Pendleton thing and appropriation is a problem, I don't feel like it's thematically unique to your culture. Other than that, people think things are pretty or delicious, and I like that we share pieces of culture, I guess it seems more upsetting when people do it in an ignorant way - like say, designing a kitchen in the US to look "Tuscan" - which is a or has been a huge trend. Any designer whose blog I've read in the past 4 years would tell you that's not how anyone's kitchen in Tuscany looks and it's a gross distortion of an Americanized version as they are just guessing and making a themed room out of whatever is marketed to them in American home furnishings stores. How deeply do you require people to think before they purchase what is attractive to them, how well they know their cultures and histories. I kind of like that sharing bits and stealing bits, perhaps discovering, perhaps being superficial. I get a little pain when it's cheap and tacky stuff people want because it looks like they think what another culture has, and cannot tell the difference in quality, but then I like quality. Other people are not so specific.

This is a really eloquent post.

I think maybe part of the problem - with Pendleton specifically and with a lot of appropriative or quasi-appropriative clothes and such generally - is the invisibility of the cultures that are being taken from. Before I read this post, I would never have recognized all of those different patterns as belonging to the same designer, let alone have known that they were that special to Native groups. I wouldn't be shocked if I looked through my closet and found items that are appropriative, but that I never knew belonged to another culture or had any significance beyond being pretty. I don't want to say that this makes it okay - only that I think it's extremely easy to appropriate by accident, and I think that's part of the systematic problems that lead to appropriation in the first place.

I'm trying to think of another example and not coming up with a lot. And while I want to say that of course, it's the responsibility of the oppressing group to do their research and not of the oppressed to make themselves visible, I think there are a lot of situations where I could never have been exposed to the fact that something I'm doing is hurtful. It's part of my privilege and it's something to watch out for. Ignorance of the law isn't an excuse. Maybe I just want to believe that people are generally good, and that if society in general were more inclusive and more diverse and people weren't sheltered in little white bubbles where they never heard of Pendleton, it would be much more difficult for them to be willing to buy it in coat form.

Excellent post and very nuanced, although you wouldn't know that from some of these comments and the analogies are absurd. I agree with Jenny that they could contribute some of those obscene profits to benefit the Native American communities in the US...

I think its off base to say that Pendleton shouldn't make expensive Native American influenced products when so many Native Americans live in poverty. Wouldn't you rather they used NA culture to influence a quality item instead of some cheap throwaway $5 crap at Forever 21? And can I also say ugh to everyone always throwing around "hipsters" as the general villian when it comes to like uh... anything... damn hipsters on their fixies cutting me off in my car, drinking all the expensive coffee, buying up all the tight pants... its played out.

I live on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, and I've seen this same thing with the appropriation of Cowichan sweaters. Growing up, my Oma used to always buy them from her neighbour for us. It has always been a product associated with the Cowichan peoples.

In the past few years, however, stores like The Bay and Aritzia have started mass producing these sweaters, making them one of the most common pieces I see on campus.

The problem that I see is not that the products are more expensive than authentic Cowichan sweaters, but that First Nations people have been losing a profitable business. By appropriating these sweaters, these large companies have obscured their relation to cultural traditions. The company now makes money that could have otherwise gone to First Nations communities, which are under served as it is.

And what really bugs me is that a lot of the people who are buying these sweaters now don't even know their history. I hear people saying on the bus about "yeah, the big trend is Cowichan sweaters; it's a sweater that Aritzia makes", and people looking into the stores run by First Nations saying that they're "Cowichan sweater knock-offs". If the peoples who originally made and marketed these items were profiting of this trend, I would be on board. But instead, it is only part of the culture that is valued, while the peoples are still constantly devalued and marginalized in our society.

Are the designs themselves sacred, or is it just that the concept of a blanket with Native designs is used in traditional ceremonies? That seems significant to me. If it's the former, then yeah, that's inappropriate, like the headdresses. If it's the latter, well, it seems less so. I mean, every culture will wind up contributing designs to others. Using crosses, headdresses, stars of david, etc is not cool because it's a religious symbol, but unless the actual DESIGNS are religious, this seems more akin to the use of plaid, moccassins, cornrows, pajamas or silk embroidered dragons.

The frustrating part to me is always when people wear these things not because they like them and think they are beautiful, but because they think it's "ironic." That in itself is hurtful. Though I can't imagine many would object to the genuine use of Buddhist prayer shawls even on non-Tibetans, I would not want someone to wear katas ironically, or for a non-religious example, dressing in goth clothing ironically. That's just insulting-- they are saying "Oh, I'm much too cool to wear this, but it's IRONIC." It is in a way an insult to the designs. And that's why I don't like hipster fashion.

I think I would be quite disappointed, perhaps angry, if I were a native American and saw these fashion trends.

To me, it is not the fact that non-Natives are wearing these items of clothing that is troubling, it is the fact that they have been commercialized and transformed from items of deep significance to throw-away pop-culture ephemera. And yes, despite the high prices, I do think this is a passing trend and that the vast majority of the (non-Native) people justifying their interest in this style of clothing by referencing its utility or its quality design will move on and never look back once the winds of fashion shift.

Part of my outlook is probably shaped by the antipathy I feel towards hipsters. In contrast to the poster Alexis above, I think 'hipsters' as a sociological trend worth analyzing and critiquing is more relevant now than ever. I see it as a shorthand term for a variety of post-modern trends that have crept into popular culture, one of the main ones being cultural appropriation (not just of native culture but also of black hip-hop culture and various other subcultures). Of course, hipster fashion is also greatly influenced by irony and juxtaposition. Are people wearing Pendleton ironically? Is that part of the appeal? I don't know, but it does remind me of the related hipster trend of wearing native headdresses.

The whole thing screams of blatant class chauvinism to me - in my mind I am lumping this in with phenomenon such as "slumming it" (the trend towards appropriation of black culture by privileged whites during the Jazz era) and its modern equivalent: hipsters who have tried to appropriate hip-hop culture but end up simply turning into a mockingly crude pastiche.

Off topic but:

It would sorta be the same if a culture more dominant than the US started handing out wedding rings as a door prize. After awhile, the ring would no longer symbolize marriage.

Sexist pigs are also offended by gay marriage for the same reason -- because after awhile, widening the term marriage to apply to same-sex couples cheapens the whole "women submit to your husband" trope. heh Which is why we should indeed embiggen the definition of marriage.

So the short version is that the principle we are using, is consistent. Compulsive heteronormanity should fall by the wayside, but respecting the limits of the sacred blanket is still on. Is there a special indian pattern given during a gay marriage, by any chance?

ALSO....

Everyone should maybe take 3 mins to try doing a little research before spouting off on how "the least they could do is support the communities they are raping of their cultural value."

So, in addition to employing American workers in American textile mills... unlike 95% of textile companies.... According to their website, Pendleton sponsors the Pendleton Round-up, Susan B. Komen for the Cure Races,

And...
"And we donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of these blankets to the American Indian College Fund (AICF) to help tribal colleges throughout the country."

And...
"National Museum of the American Indian... To commemorate the opening, Pendleton Woolen Mills wove a special collectible blanket designed by Native American artist Truman Lowe. Through the sale of Indian-designed blankets, the Smithsonian Institute has earned more than $300,000 for this outstanding legacy to our country's first citizens."

And...
"Fisher House™ Program... Fisher House Foundation builds and donates "comfort homes" on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers to enable families to be close to sick or wounded service members during hospitalization. Pendleton's Grateful Nation Blanket honors the brave men and women who have defended our freedom throughout the history of the United States. And for each blanket sold, we make a donation to Fisher House."

And...
Men's Health Network

And...
Jack and Jill Rappaport Foundation (National Public Awareness Campaign)

And...
They encourage their employees to donate to the United Way through payroll deductions.

And... Environmentally....
"Our goal is to manufacture and weave wool in ways that leave the smallest possible footprint on the earth. We are committed to the following principles:

# Exceed regulatory compliance
# Use sustainable fibers, especially wool
# Continually reduce water and energy usage through better technology
# Evaluate our processes and inputs
# Recycle materials

Let's talk about cultural appropriation, but let's not attack what appears to be a very socially conscious company just because it helps you feel extra indignant.

of course you have a right to be upset; there isn't anything respectful about it. It's straight up appropriation, w/o a cent (I am assuming, which I know I shouldn't do, but I'm fairly certain it's a valid assumption)given back to the communities from whose cultural designs these businesses are so richly rewarded. I hope you can take small comfort in the fact that the "fashion" community and the sheep who follow their orders will quickly move on to something else. Stay strong.

and, to "T" - wow! My apologies for not investigating the ins and outs of the company before I posted, but, PLEASE, give us just a small break. Capitalism is capitalism, and regardless of what is or is not being "given back", it's plainly and simply so that a group's sacred designs are being used to sell clothes to people, most of whom, anyway, have no connection to said community what.so.ever. So, let's not break out the wings and halos just yet.

-anyc

Thanks to Lisa Wade. Thanks for acknowledging that it's complicated but also for being honest about how you feel about it. Makes sense to me. Thanks for setting up a safe environment to discuss this.

As a non-native, non-minority who endeavors to be an ally to minorities, or at least to opt out of oppression and condescension, I appreciated Andrea's and Samantha C's comments above. Majority groups often do overwhelm the original meaning of an idea held by a minority group. And it's very easy to do it unintentionally.

If cultural transmission is inevitable - and it think it is, thankfully - then we should try to do it well, lest we lose all the best parts of all o us. Question: What are some examples of this happening the right way?

Thanks to Lisa Wade. Thanks for acknowledging that it's complicated but also for being honest about how you feel about it. Makes sense to me. Thanks for setting up a safe environment to discuss this.

As a non-native, non-minority who endeavors to be an ally to minorities, or at least to opt out of oppression and condescension, I appreciated Andrea's and Samantha C's comments above. Majority groups often do overwhelm the original meaning of an idea held by a minority group. And it's very easy to do it unintentionally.

If cultural transmission is inevitable - and it think it is, thankfully - then we should try to do it well, lest we lose all the best parts of all o us.

Question: What are some examples of this happening the right way?

I haven't read all of the comments above, but I wanted to thank you for this post. My dad runs a fourth-generation outdoor outfitters in very rural New England, and we've sold Pendleton blankets and the Woolrich Hudson's Bay blankets for years. We also carry the outdoor clothes from both P&W., doing a lively trade in men's wool shirts, some of them in the various Scottish tartans. My dad wears the wool shirts daily in the winter, and my brother and I both have several. I sleep under Pendleton blankets in my current home, although we don't need them so often given our warmer climate.

I was shocked when I saw the hipster stuff in Urban Outfitters, but for a different reason...I associate the blankets and clothes with rural life, and with people who generally spend money on well-made things regardless of current fashion...indeed, you're going to be wearing that Stewart Dress Tartan shirt for the next 20 years, so buying had better not be about fashion.

I also wonder about an answer to Byrd's question -- cultural transmission? When you buy a Pendleton blanket (at least if I'm remembering right) I think you get a small card that explains the history of the blankets and their pattern. Obviously, some people are interested and some completely ignore it, but it's possibly an inkling of doing it "the right way" -- with some form of education but no doubt there are other facets, too.

Lastly, I'd point to the congruent example of Basotho blankets, wool blankets made in Britain and sold to the Sotho market, with designs carefully controlled by the Sotho royal family. I have one of these, too, in the "Badges of the Brave" pattern because I thought it looked very snappy and had a interesting story behind it. I also bought one for my dad and when he's not using it as a lap-robe, it hangs in the family story with a hand-made sign explaining its significance. We do not, however, wear them in the traditional style of the Sotho...so what are we doing?

I wanted to come add a few links that some may be interested in. Since the culture being discussed is related to my life, I have links that have good info about many native nations. (As I stated before we are not all the same. There are more than 500 separate native nations in the US.) I thought some might actually be interested in learning more about the actual people this is related to.

If someone's first reaction is "hell no, I don't care about those people" then I don't think they should be arguing that we don't have a right to be offended by something. It's not these particular patterns that I find offensive, it's the attitude that many people have about us. Part of the problem is the simplistic way we are often portrayed when native cultures are complex and intricate. (If you say they're not then you really do know nothing about us.) The scantily clad images of native women actually bother me much more than the blankets do, but that's another story. My point is that some of us are willing to teach people the real info about us, are you willing to learn?

Here are my favorite links. If you're really interested, then check them out.

This one has a lot of info.
http://www.turtleisland.org/front/_front.htm

This one has a lot of native news. There is even a story about the Grammy that was won this year for the Gathering of Nations powwow album. Did you know that the Grammy's even has a Native American music category?
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/

This is the site for the Gathering of Nations. They even have a free 24/7 online streaming native radio station that plays everything from traditional drum and flute to rock, pop, hip-hop and everything in between.
http://www.gatheringofnations.com/

This one gives a lot of info about powwows and has some lists by state, though not all are listed.
www.powwows.com

These are just a few of my favorites. I have links about the Boarding Schools (children were still being taken from their parents in the 1970's and put in the boarding schools btw), the forced sterilization of native women, the policies that were actually on the books that pertained to Native Americans, (Yes I did notice that not one person has commented on the link I gave previously, pertaining to the disease ridden blankets that were intentionally given to native people.) and many other issues. I decided to give more positive links intentionally, but please keep this in mind. When a native person is discussing things that are culturally related, we are looking through eyes attached to the minds and hearts that still live with these issues every day.

Some say, "but that's the past, get over it." Some of those same people though have no problem seeing us only in terms that are related to the distant past. We are not the distant past. We are very much a part of living, breathing cultures.

The issues are also not as far in the past as many seem to think. I used to work with someone who told me she did not understand why people wanted things back from museums. I told her that I know someone (yes he's an older gentleman) who got his actual grandparent's bones back from a museum. "You mean his however many great grandparents." she said. I told her, no his actual GRANDparents. She was shocked and told me that she wouldn't want her grandparents bones in a museum either.

This discussion may seem just about blankets and patterns to some. To me it is related to my life, my past, present, future and the future of my children. I believe that awareness and communication are important. I know this is long, so if you read it all, chi miigwetch (thank you very much). If you looked at any of the links and actually CARE about the people being discussed, then thank you even more.

I love this post for the critical analysis it brings to the issue, and for pointing out that the issue is complicated. As much as I like this blog, I find too many of the posts have a knee-jerk reaction, simplifying complex issues instead of employing the critical thought that should be this blog's staple. I don't mean that to be insulting; it's an observation but it's still subjective and only my opinion.

So, great post. Gave me a lot to think about.

Having read the article I believe there is cause to be offended, I would be too if I were in her shoes.
My second immediate thought was Charlene said in her comments:

"The problem that I see is not that the products are more expensive than authentic Cowichan sweaters, but that First Nations people have been losing a profitable business. By appropriating these sweaters, these large companies have obscured their relation to cultural traditions. The company now makes money that could have otherwise gone to First Nations communities, which are under served as it is."

It reads to me that there is a valuable business that can be made, one that provides traditional blankets to native communities and ensures the preservation of the craft. This could be applied to a plethora of other native traditions and crafts.

Here's a little history about the Indian Trade Blanket.

http://www.collectorsguide.com/fa/fa026.shtml

I didn't pick up on this until right now... "But then, on the other hand, they go off and do things like design a $5000 blanket with White Buffalo hair, which many tribes consider extremely sacred and definitely off-limits to commercial sale."

So, the contrast is... proceeds of certain blankets support causes and this one is just to defame the sacred buffalo.

OR... The original article from the Oregonian (not linked) actually mentioned that the proceeds of these blankets are SPECIFICALLY to support a cause.... "The blanket sales help underwrite the land rental and hay purchases by the nonprofit Sacred World Peace Alliance directed by Hart-Button that operates the white buffalo sanctuary." i.e., Where these unique and special buffalo live!!

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2010/12/central_oregon_is_home_to_rare_white_buffalo_herd_featured_on_special_pendleton_blanket_1.html

it's fashion - people buy it because it's aesthetically pleasing. i seriously doubt any non-native who buys from pendleton is doing so to offend your heritage.

i understand that maybe some of these designs are culturally more significant to you, but it doesn't mean that i don't think they're beautiful too. i really can only equate this with saying that i think no one should be allowed to wear plaid or tartan unless they're scottish.

Hi,
I'm a bit late to the game on this one but oh well!
I'm a Cayuse & Walla Walla/White mutt who lives in Pendleton, Oregon and while I may not be "Indian Enough" to speak for any tribes, I can tell you that most of us out here don't get too worked-up about any of this.

In fact, I for one kinda like all the new Pendleton stuff, even if some of it is kinda fugly and certain wealthy people who annoy me wear them. I like that Pendleton is trying to expand their market while keeping a firm hold on the things that made the brand what it is today. The only thing that the factory here makes is blankets. All of the nice ceremonial, commemorative and other special blankets are made right here in the factory next to the hospital my mom was born in and the VFW Hall that my (Siletz) Great-Grandfather helped build. And I'd be lying if I said that didn't give me a little pride-in-place. When ever I'm somewhere far away from home and I see someone wearing a Pendleton jacket (I can spot one a mile away) or carrying a Pendleton bag I feel a little excited and have to fight the urge to stop that person and say "I LIVE IN PENDLETON!"

The company itself is not only close to its roots, it has consistently given back more and more as its sales have grown. In fact just today I read that Pendleton has given another $100,000 to the American Indian College Fund. Last year the company released a line of blankets with designs commemorating National Parks with some of the proceeds going to support preservation efforts. Pendleton has always been a strong supporter of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and has been central to the many traditions that remain today.

As for the sacred aspect, I couldn't say. If I see a white person wearing a native design I know they usually mean no disrespect. I think us Cay-Uma-Wa people are thick-skinned enough that we don't let little things like this bug us. To me, personally, the only blankets that are sacred are the ones my ancestors were wraped in when they were burried- and I don't need to worry about hipsters wrapping themselves in those.

So high-fashion has caught up to Pendleton and rich people are willing to shell-out some money for it now. As far as I'm concerned they can keep raking in that dough and giving it back to our community. I know that my family and friends (yes, even the white ones!) will be warm for many winters to come.

http://fashion.elle.com/accessories/2011/03/11/natalia-brilli-on-leather-sm-and-american-history/?cid=sm_tw

Refers to Native American influence in her designs as a nod to American history- as if Native Americans are not still around today. Reminded me of this post.

In response to this post, of course you have the right to be upset, but I do think these trends come about because people find a culture beautiful and intriguing and want to be included, not because of any malicious intentions.

making major money matters most

What's really upsetting to me beyond what you stated is that a lot of their products are being made in China.

I'm with you through 99% of your thoughts on this. Up until I thought about the idea that Pendleton has been a European-American business (owned by the Bishop family mostly), since at least 1906.  If they represent something special to you because of context, I understand. If they worked well with your community, or the communities of others, that's exemplary. But it's a convoluted road to go down and say it's appropriation. Nor is it new. From the hippies to the hipsters, Pendleton wool plaid shirts have been coveted for years, having absolutely nothing to do with appropriation. Are they authentic plaids of Scotland? I really doubt it. As much as I want to offended, I think history's more complicated than that.

You have no reason to be upset. Pendelton did not make their products specifically for the natives. They may have marketed, some to them but you do not own any rights to them.

Thank goodness all I wear is Filson so I do not have to confront the apparent endless intellectual struggle inherent with Pendleton—you know, trying to keep a U.S. company’s products marketable and selling vs. misappropriation of culture! Now that I think about it, Filson does sell Cowichan sweaters—I guess I should be relieved I’ve never bought one...that would indeed be hurtful!

I am happy to see the Pendleton Wool become more mainstream. I am not native American but I grew up on a reservation. My Great Grandparents came from Scottland and I was born a baby in the USA - thank God because I feel like I already hit the jackpot. I am the sole driver of my life and soley responsible for how I live it. I am entitled to nothing but work very hard to earn it. I feel we are all born exactly the same into this world and we ourselves determine the paths we take. I take full responsibility for how my actions affect every situation and try very hard to not play the blame game. I see all these entitlements rights to colors or patterns or styles or anything - as a devisive action. As long as we are all laying claim to things we really don't own - then we are creating groups and causing division within our community - the human race. As babies we are all the same. As we grow up we start dividing ourselves into groups and this division causes alot of hard feelings. I am a woman and very proud of it. I could hate men or the government or corporate America - but I don't. If everyone could just come together with love and actually LISTEN - Not Talk - we would find compassion for everyone. How about you wear my plaid coat and I will warm up in your Pendleton blanket? If there was just 2 of us in a room - you would probably do this with out thinking. So why on the community level are things so different? That's why this is so frustrating because it affects everyone & every group. I guess this makes me a Hippy, right? The blankets are so beautiful and you should take pride that your Cultural Group is responsible for something so beautiful. You will be making a lot of people happy this year when they receive their gifts. Your group is also helping fashion to come back to natures colors and beauty. For that: THANK YOU!! Thank you for your designs and colors. Thank you for sharing...

Hi
I wondered who the beautiful designs of the Pendleton blankets belonged to. I get that they aren't really meant to be claimed but that's not respected in this world. It's like the land, we are only its guardians. Totally get that...But Pakeha don't get it. Nothing against Pakeha but the world we live in doesn't give honour to the ideals of yesterday, so we have to take the rules they make and use them without losing our integrity along the way.
They've admitted where the designs came from and to be honest I thought Native Americans designed and made them.
I've seen the videos on youtube about the reservations and seen the stats on suicide with The People and it is heart breaking. I don't understand why The People aren't benefiting more from the ideas that have come from those who have gone before...If they aren't claimed then you can be certain they will be abused, just like the land. Just like the integrity of the people, taken and abused...it's The Peoples history, The Peoples patterns. If those ideas aren't claimed. They'll be abused as you see now. Isn't that why The People try to claim the land? So it won't be abused by companies building nasty pipelines? How is this any different?
But here's the thing, if The People were to claim those designs, how many of The People can be trusted to hold those treasures for future generations to come? How many of The People have not been infected with greed? How will The People deal with that?
I read once an apology letter to the Native People of America by some doctor...the amount of psychological warfare and the down right genocide of The People that went into the destruction of your culture and many other cultures, because the same warfare was used on other native cultures. The use of infected blankets, the 'us and them' the death of Native dances, and songs, the connection to God and Gods...the language lost all of that...the sigma of being called a dirty this and that...the slow oppression and murder of a once strong People and now all of a sudden every thing native is awesome? wasn't it back then? didn't our cultures have a religion? didn't we love and teach our children? didn't we love our elder? You have a right to be pissed off...

But what will you do about it?

What remains now is a shadow of what once was...a rich, deep, loving and spiritual culture...our culture has also been hard hit, but we're still close enough to the savage to get pissed off even when our Elders try to tell us something different. There are some awesome things about the old ways but there needs to be a marriage of the old and what we as the younger generation are up against. It's tiring having to fight the Elders and the Pakeha...and then the corruption by drugs, alcohol, abuse of children, women and Elderly...but the future generations are depending on us.

I definitely get that. I have one but it was my grandpas and its from like 1960 something in PERFECT condition it feels good to wear i almost look like him in the mirror. He died last year it feels awesome to wear because its his...Its okay to think that way and such i DEFINITELY get it for example im a death metal fan huge one i nerd and now everyone and everything had gore font as logos when it has nothing to do with metal so i see where you're coming from haha just never assume you know what the person wearing it's intent or why they have it you know? Like Everything else you never know.

The Pendleton designs are still going strong now, 10 years after this was published. Still, fashion is fickle while tradition endures.

Long after the fascination with heritage Pendleton patterns fades in the mainstream it will be the very same tradition as ever for Natives. Remember if somebody is just wearing your tradition as a fashion, the offense you feel will be short lived. His or her purchase of Pendleton blankets keeps the company running.