Maker Kits with Pendleton® Wool

A Complicated History

In the spirit of integrity, transparency, and conscious consumerism, we would be amiss not to acknowledge that Pendleton®’s historic relationship with Native communities is complicated, as is, of course, the history of our country itself. Back in the mid nineteenth century, Pendleton® marketed its wares to Native peoples, producing blankets with motifs inspired by Native design. The blankets were readily embraced and have become an integral part of Native culture and ceremony.

In our research, we have found that the opinions of Native folks and activists on the subject of Pendleton® are not cut and dry. A few are outspoken against Pendleton® but more often the underlying theme seems to be: it’s complicated. Yes, white colonialists created a business that profited off of Native designs, but they also produced blankets that were embraced and beloved in Native communities, adopted as part of ceremonial gift-giving to this day.

As Americans, capitalism, colonialism, and oppression are embedded in our everyday reality. All non-native people in this country are living on stolen land. Historically, Pendleton® Woolen Mills can be seen as a symbiotic relationship, cultural appropriation, or, more likely, a mixed up combination of the two—a sometimes messy interweaving of cultures and economic systems.

Today, Pendleton® works directly with Native American designers to create special collections, pays for the rights to Native patterns, commissions Native artists for new designs, and has several philanthropic partnerships with Native organizations. If you’d like to learn more, we encourage you to do your own research and click READ MORE below to read a statement from Pendleton®.