When you are seeking to purchase a Native American or Native design blanket, typically you think about quality and price to get the best value for you and your household.

You might also think about blanket designs like Aztec, Bohemian, Tribal or retro prints. Likewise take into account the type of product you will be pleased with. With options in wool, polyester fleece, cotton, acrylic, to list some.

In addition, what size will best fit your needs? A throw size? Or perhaps a bed size like Twin, Full Queen or King?

If you have finally decided on a Native American design blanket, here is some details to help you to learn more about them:

Indian blankets were valuable trade commodities. A blanket with three beavers pictured on it, for example, implied the blanket was worth three beaver furs. The Hudson Bay Company, established in Canada in the late 1600s, traded North American Indian blankets to Europeans. The establishment of frontier trading posts by white inhabitants in the 1800s permitted people to exchange their products to European Americans for other products.

During the early 19th century Navajo ladies started to weave chief's blankets, which were so commonly traded that they were worn by Indians from the northern Great Plains to the Mexican border. Although not a badge of chieftainship, these blankets did represent power and affluence. As an example, Three phases of increasing complexity in style share an underlying structure based on broad black and white stripes, mixed with bands of indigo blue, bars of red, or geometric figures, generally a serrated diamond.

In the 1500s the Navajo tribe of the Southwest learned blanket weaving from the Pueblos, who made blankets from the wool of Spanish sheep. Navajo blankets became known for their brilliant colors, geometric patterns, and representation of animals. Made according to the customized of the Tlingit tribe of Alaska, a fringe blanket of cedar bark fiber and goat wool required six months to complete.

Native American blankets are very popular throughout the US and around the world for their appeal and workmanship. Some today are woven by native craftsmen; others are mass-produced by manufacturers such as Pendleton. Either way, these blankets are inherently linked to the Southwest and American Indian custom.

Native Americans used blankets for numerous functions. Nez Perce moms residing in the Northwest, for instance, brought their babies by slinging them over their shoulders in a blanket. Females in the Pueblo tribe of the Southwest used black blankets, or mantas, and left their shoulders bare during rite of spring ceremonies. Pueblos also utilized embroidered blankets to display animals taken by hunters. Furthermore, the Navajos of the Southwest weaved blankets for horses in addition to riders with signs designed to protect them on their travels.

The signs recognized by the varied Indigenous Peoples:

The symbology of the Arrow

The arrow is among the most important symbols for the Native Americans considering that of its significance in searching and gathering. The arrow acts as among their most treasured possessions due to the fact that allowed them to search for food from a safe distance and safeguard their tribe from predators and other opponents. A single arrow indicates protection, but it can also imply instructions, motion, force, and power.

The symbol of the Cross

Native American people use the sign of the cross and its ranges to represent the origin of the world, with its 4 bars representing the cardinal directions: north, south, east, and west. This symbol then symbolizes life or the sustenance of life which works as a suggestion of keeping the balance of nature and its 4 aspects.

The sign of the Coyote

For Native American, the Coyote is said to be the trickster spirit. The significance of the coyote symbol appears in its broad use specifically for southwestern Native American tribes like the Zuni and Navajo. While the Coyote is considered a powerful and sacred animal it is often portrayed as a naughty being, which is why it's associated with selfishness, greed, and deceit.

The symbol of the Kokopelli

Kokopelli is the name of a Native American divine being linked to fertility. It is typically depicted as a hunched, dancing man playing a flute, and often features a big phallus. The Kokopelli is a symbol of human and plant fertility however it is also connected to trickery like the coyote because of its aloof nature.

The sign regarding the Man in the maze

Actually there are many meanings behind the symbol of the man in the labyrinth. It varies from tribe to tribe. However typically, the symbol represents a male's life, with lots of twists and turns. The Man in the Maze features a male who appears like he's about to go into an elaborate maze. The man represents a person or a tribe who is about to embark on his journey in life while the maze itself represents the obstacles he fulfills along the way. The center of the labyrinth, or its last corner represents death and the cycle of human life duplicating itself.

The sign of the Sun Face

The Sun Face symbol represents among the most essential divine beings of the Zuni people which is the Sun Father. Since their main source of livelihood is agricultural farming, this particular people created a sign that would represent the abundance, stability, hope, energy, and joy that the sun grants them especially during harvest season. That's why the sun face looks just like the morning star but has a larger inner circle with a geometrically shaped face to represent the face of the sun.