Unknown Speaker  0:01  
Pendleton's iconic designs have been a fixture of North American life since the early 20th century successfully running a business marketed to both indigenous and non indigenous Americans. To this day, the company says 50% of its blankets are sold to indigenous people. The company began in 1863 when Thomas K an English Weaver moved to the US state of Oregon, where he began the woolen business that now six generations later, is still run by his descendants. At the factory. His daughter, Fanny was his assistant and mill operation, learning all about the trade. But when her father died in 1900, he left the mill to his sons only eight years after her father's death, Fanny and her husband Charles pleasant Bishop bought a competing factory, then failing Pendleton woolen Mills, the bishops transformed it into what is known best for today by introducing their infamous patterned wool blankets. The bolt patterns created a hybrid of cymbals from various indigenous tribes and geometrical patterns from European and Oriental influences. These patterns were designed by an expert at the modern technology of the Jacquard loom, which helped create intricate patterns faster. Joseph Rawnsley spent time on indigenous reserves where his research and worked at the company until his death in 1929. Surprisingly, Pendleton blankets became a symbol of honor and respect in indigenous populations, and the giving of a Pendleton blanket still accompanies important occasions of some indigenous peoples in America. During the mid 20th century, the company began to market the true Indian designs on these blankets to non indigenous populations, sometimes advertising in vogue. Although the company has connected to indigenous communities with college funds and collaborations with indigenous artists and craftspeople. More recently, some indigenous people do not like the collaborations like the high end one with the Manhattan bass brand opening ceremony. In a blog post on Native appropriations, Adrian Kean writes, it's a complicated feeling, but I feel ownership over these designs as a native person. But on a rational level, I realize that they aren't necessarily ours to claim

Transcribed by https://otter.ai