The Thousands

“The round stones beneath the earth have spoken through the fire. Things which are alike, in nature, grow to look alike, and the speaking stones have lain a long time looking at the sun.” Nobody – Dead Man (1995) dir. Jim Jarmusch

In this country, spirituality is as rare as peyote. We look all too often to utility, forgetting our own experience in the process. “Trade blankets”, also known as the “wearing blanket”, are an important part of Native American heritage and combine the practical with the mystical.

The classic Navajo trade blanket is as much about the wearer as the object. When wrapped around the shoulders with the two sides joined in front the design comes together and completes itself, placing the wearer at the centre of the universe. Over time, these blankets also adopt their own personality. Constantly exposed to the interior or exterior world around them “Heirloom” Trade Blankets can tell a story and come to life when a person getting inside and the present meets the past.

Pendleton is the sole surviving manufacturer of such blankets from the original era and it is said that to those who are open to experiencing their various designs, will begin to find beauty in unexpected places. Just like Peyote.