When you are looking to buy a Native American or Native design blanket, typically you consider quality and cost to get the very best value for you and your family.

You might also consider blanket styles like Aztec, Bohemian, Tribal or retro prints. Also take into account the type of material you will be satisfied with. With choices in wool, polyester fleece, cotton, acrylic, to mention some.

Likewise, what size will best fit your requirements? A throw size? Or perhaps a bed size like Twin, Full Size Queen or King Size?

If you have ulitmately picked a Native American style blanket, here is some info to help you to discover more about them:

Indian blankets were valuable trade products. A blanket with 3 beavers shown on it, for example, indicated 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 allowed people to exchange their items to European Americans for other products.

In the early 1800s Navajo women began to weave chief's blankets, which were so extensively traded that they were used by Indians from the northern Great Plains to the Mexican border. While not a badge of chieftainship, these blankets did represent power and affluence. For example, Three phases of increasing complexity in design share form foundation based on broad black and white stripes, interspersed with bands of indigo blue, bars of red, or geometric symbols, usually a serrated diamond.

In the 1500s the Navajo tribe of the Southwest discovered blanket weaving from the Pueblos, who made blankets from the wool of Spanish sheep. Navajo blankets became understood for their brilliant colors, geometric patterns, and depiction of animals. Made according to the customized of the Tlingit people of Alaska, a fringe blanket of cedar bark fiber and goat wool required 6 months to complete.

Native American blankets are extremely popular throughout the United States and around the world for their beauty and workmanship. Some today are woven by native artisans; others are mass-produced by factories such as Pendleton. Either way, these blankets are fundamentally connected to the Southwest and American Indian tradition.

Native Americans used blankets for numerous reasons. Nez Perce moms residing in the Northwest, for instance, carried their infants by slinging them over their shoulders in a blanket. Ladies in the Pueblo people of the Southwest wore black blankets, or mantas, and left their shoulders bare during rite of spring ceremonies. Pueblos also utilized embroidered blankets to display animals felled by hunters. In addition, the Navajos of the Southwest weaved blankets for horses along with riders with symbols meant to secure them on their travels.

The symbols regarding the many Native American Tribes:

The sign of the Bear

As a generally spiritual group of people, Native Americans use numerous animals in their symbols, and among the most typical ones are bears. Bears are believed to be the protectors of the animal kingdom and are for that reason treated with respect. It is also revered as a symbol of nerve, strength, and management. Bears are highly related to by a great deal of people and some of them even call their finest warriors bears for having the greatest capability of securing their people from any form of harm. Others even think that they can draw power from the strength of a bear simply by dreaming about one, consuming it, or by simply touching the beast.

The symbol regarding the Butterfly

While the butterfly is not as crucial as bears are to Native Americans, it is still one respected sign because butterflies are thought to be messengers from the spirit world. Depending on the color of the butterfly, the message brought by these animals might be a symbol of good luck or a bad prophecy. Here are simply a few of the meaning behind butterfly colors as believed by the Native American individuals.

The symbology of the Coyote

For Native American, the Coyote is said to be the trickster spirit. The significance of the coyote sign appears in its broad usage specifically for southwestern Native American tribes like the Zuni and Navajo. While the Coyote is regarded as an effective and spiritual animal it is often depicted 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 deity connected to fertility. It is typically depicted as a stooped, dancing man playing a flute, and frequently includes a large phallus. The Kokopelli is a sign of human and plant fertility but it is likewise linked to mischief like the coyote because of its whimsical nature.

The symbol regarding the Eye of the Medicine Man/ Shaman Eye

The shaman eye or the eye of the Medicine Man can be discussed in 3 parts. First, the outer rhombus is believed to be the real world or the world of the regular man. The inner rhombus on the other hand represents the spiritual world only noticeable to the Shamans. The center dot represents the eye of the Shaman itself which essentially implies that those with the eye of a Medicine Man can clearly gaze not simply at the real world but at the spiritual world, too. This is the reason Native American shamans can carry out spiritual acts like recovery and routines.

The sign regarding the Thunderbird

The thunderbird is the most essential legendary bird for the Native American people. This majestic bird takes its name from the belief that it is strong enough to make thunderous sounds whenever it flaps its wings. The Native Americans likewise thought that thunderbirds might shoot fire from their eyes. The thunderbird can be a prophecy of war and the sign of splendor and strength.