WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – A Healing Blanket Ceremony was held at the Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock Nov. 19.
Members of the 24th Navajo Nation Council including Madam Chair Amber Kanazbah Crotty, in collaboration with Cellular One and Pendleton, presented 30 families of Missing and Murdered Diné Relatives (MMDR) a healing blanket.
The Artist Edition Healing Blanket was designed by Diné artist Leandra Yazzie. Proceeds from the Healing Blanket will be donated to the families of missing and murdered Navajo victims.
In March 2019, the Navajo Nation Council supported establishing a working group to begin addressing the ongoing crisis of MMDR in the Navajo Nation. The group is comprised of a multidisciplinary team tasked with developing a framework to establish a Missing & Murdered Diné Relatives data institute, develop a missing persons community action toolkit and create healing spaces for the families of victims.
This year Cellular One and Pendleton have partnered on a powerful philanthropic initiative to raise awareness and contribute to nonprofits working toward solutions that address the disproportionately high rates of missing and murdered Indigenous persons. This spring the two companies commissioned “The Healing Blanket” designed by Navajo artist Leandra Yazzie from Blue Gap.
Produced in the USA by Pendleton Woolen Mills, this special Artist Edition blanket will retail for $329 on pendleton-usa.com. From the sale of every blanket, 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to support Missing and Murdered Diné Relatives and National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center.
“Giving back is in our DNA as a company, but initiatives like this are of the utmost significance to us as a corporate citizen,” said Judd Hinkle, CEO of Cellular One. “Most of us cannot begin to imagine the pain of a loved one going missing or being found murdered. But we must face these dark realities if we are going change things for the better in the communities we serve. Madam Chair Amber Kanazbah Crotty and her MMDR organization are doing crucial work and they are gaining momentum. We are proud to lend our support.”
“The mission of the MMDR and National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center is as challenging as it is rewarding,” said Pendleton President and CEO John Bishop. “We are proud to team up with Cellular One and Leandra Yazzie to support their work. The sale of the Artist Edition Healing Blanket will help fund the effort, and we hope the blanket itself will bring greater public awareness to the issue.”
About the Healing Blanket
Against the blue of Father Sky, songbirds rise from Mother Earth to greet the healing rays of Morning Sun. The birds carry messages of harmony, balance, and renewal in a design that brings awareness to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Movement. A band of turquoise symbolizes Life, with bands of red for missing Native relatives who will never be forgotten. Diné artisan Leandra Yazzie’s design brings a powerful message of resilience and hope.
Leandra Yazzie (Diné) lives in Blue Gap, Arizona. Growing up, her grandmother and aunt, both renowned Navajo weavers, shared their talents, techniques, and histories with her. Ms. Yazzie credits the resilient women in her life with inspiring the vibrant cultural undertones that inform her work.
The Healing Blanket is now available for purchase nationwide on the Pendleton website: www.pendleton-usa.com.
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – A Healing Blanket Ceremony was held at the Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock Nov. 19.
Members of the 24th Navajo Nation Council including Madam Chair Amber Kanazbah Crotty, in collaboration with Cellular One and Pendleton, presented 30 families of Missing and Murdered Diné Relatives (MMDR) a healing blanket.
The Artist Edition Healing Blanket was designed by Diné artist Leandra Yazzie. Proceeds from the Healing Blanket will be donated to the families of missing and murdered Navajo victims.
In March 2019, the Navajo Nation Council supported establishing a working group to begin addressing the ongoing crisis of MMDR in the Navajo Nation. The group is comprised of a multidisciplinary team tasked with developing a framework to establish a Missing & Murdered Diné Relatives data institute, develop a missing persons community action toolkit and create healing spaces for the families of victims.
This year Cellular One and Pendleton have partnered on a powerful philanthropic initiative to raise awareness and contribute to nonprofits working toward solutions that address the disproportionately high rates of missing and murdered Indigenous persons. This spring the two companies commissioned “The Healing Blanket” designed by Navajo artist Leandra Yazzie from Blue Gap.
Produced in the USA by Pendleton Woolen Mills, this special Artist Edition blanket will retail for $329 on pendleton-usa.com. From the sale of every blanket, 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to support Missing and Murdered Diné Relatives and National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center.
“Giving back is in our DNA as a company, but initiatives like this are of the utmost significance to us as a corporate citizen,” said Judd Hinkle, CEO of Cellular One. “Most of us cannot begin to imagine the pain of a loved one going missing or being found murdered. But we must face these dark realities if we are going change things for the better in the communities we serve. Madam Chair Amber Kanazbah Crotty and her MMDR organization are doing crucial work and they are gaining momentum. We are proud to lend our support.”
“The mission of the MMDR and National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center is as challenging as it is rewarding,” said Pendleton President and CEO John Bishop. “We are proud to team up with Cellular One and Leandra Yazzie to support their work. The sale of the Artist Edition Healing Blanket will help fund the effort, and we hope the blanket itself will bring greater public awareness to the issue.”
About the Healing Blanket
Against the blue of Father Sky, songbirds rise from Mother Earth to greet the healing rays of Morning Sun. The birds carry messages of harmony, balance, and renewal in a design that brings awareness to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Movement. A band of turquoise symbolizes Life, with bands of red for missing Native relatives who will never be forgotten. Diné artisan Leandra Yazzie’s design brings a powerful message of resilience and hope.
Leandra Yazzie (Diné) lives in Blue Gap, Arizona. Growing up, her grandmother and aunt, both renowned Navajo weavers, shared their talents, techniques, and histories with her. Ms. Yazzie credits the resilient women in her life with inspiring the vibrant cultural undertones that inform her work.
The Healing Blanket is now available for purchase nationwide on the Pendleton website: www.pendleton-usa.com.