By Sheri Waldrop
Local artist Bryan Waytula is one of the featured artists with 8th Generation Native-designed printed textiles, jewelry, and art based in Seattle.
He graduated Sapulpa High School in 1998 and a University of Oklahoma graduate in 2002.
In the past, he has experimented with putting his artwork on denim and sewn into original 1 of 1 jean jackets. A friend suggested Waytula would be perfect for the blanket project and sent him the link.
He said, “I grew up around basketry and seeing what my Mom has done over the years, I wanted a way to preserve those designs digitally. So, using a few of Mom’s baskets as inspiration, I created by hand in Adobe Illustrator many of our Cherokee patterns in vectors and outlines.”
The blanket is titled “Cherokee Treasure” and he chose to combine these patterns for their significance to him.
He said the “Noon Day Sun” always caught his eye and is one of his favorite patterns. The “Chief’s Daughter” and “Double Chief’s Daughter” patterns reminded him of his mother, Vivian Garner Cottrell, and grandmother, Betty Scraper Garner, both of whom are Cherokee Treasures in Basketry.
You can also see the “Double Peace Pipe” in this pattern, he said.
“I submitted this design in the Honoring Elder’s category with 8th Generation as a way to educate admirers and collectors about our Cherokee culture, but also to honor my own elders, his mother, and grandmother, as well as all tribal elders who have come before us.”
The blankets are made of 100% Aotearoa (New Zealand) Wool.
Blankets can be purchased through the 8th Generation website or from Waytula’s own Etsy store.
He has a limited amount in signed boxes for purchase.
Their website says Eighth Generation is a Seattle-based art and lifestyle brand owned by the Snoqualmie Tribe. It was founded in 2008 when Louie Gong (Nooksack) and their Inspired Natives™ Project builds business capacity among cultural artists while addressing the economic impact of cultural appropriation.
Follow the link to the 8th Gen video of the full story behind Waytula designed Cherokee Treasure blanket.
