SAND SPRINGS – After a friend and fellow Cherokee artist suggested he apply for one of Eighth Generation’s 2021 Wool Blanket Design Contests, Cherokee Nation citizen Bryan Waytula did just that.

“My friend, Jules Thornton, sent me a link just randomly … through Facebook Messenger and just said, ‘hey, I think you’d be great for this. I think you should apply,’” Waytula said.

In the midst of the pandemic with multiple art markets being shutdown, Waytula jumped at the opportunity. Waytula entered Eighth Generation’s, an art and lifestyle brand based in Seattle, Elder Wool Blanket Design Contest and submitted a design to honor his family and Cherokee elders through showcasing basket-weaved designs.

“As a Cherokee artist, I always think about our elders. I grew up around so many artists and so many basket weavers and then my grandmother (Cherokee National Treasure Betty Scraper Garner) and mom (Cherokee National Treasure Vivian Garner Cottrell) teaching so many other Cherokees but also the visitors we’d have come in that would take a class,” he said. “So, I was wanting to do something around our Cherokee patterns in basketry.”

Waytula’s winning design is called “Cherokee Treasure” and is a wool blanket that includes patterns such as the noon day sun, chief’s daughter and the double chief’s daughter.

“Mom was working on a basket during that time that really inspired me to collaborate with her on our patterns and the meanings and the color scheme. I didn’t take exactly from her basket but … I came out with a really neat pattern that I thought was eye catching – having mom and my grandmother’s inspiration and all the other elders that have kept our traditional arts alive,” Waytula said. “We don’t own any of these patterns, you know, these are patterns that our people have created, and mom’s just been working tirelessly to save those.”

Since the blanket came out, Waytula said he has received “many” compliments.

“I’ve gotten so many compliments from my peers and artists and art collectors on the design itself. The feedback’s been amazing,” he said.

As for collaborating with Eighth Generation, Waytula said he was “excited” to do so.

“I’m really excited to be collaborating with a company like Eighth Generation, fully owned and comprised of Native American people and working with Native American artists,” he said. “Being able to put those historical patterns that we’ve used for generations is pretty neat to see on the national level.”

To purchase Waytula’s “Cherokee Treasure” wool blanket, visit his Etsy page by searching “BryanWaytulaArt” or Eighth Generation at eighthgeneration.com/collections/blankets/products/cherokee-treasure-wool-blanket.

Waytula added when purchasing the blanket through his Etsy page, buyers will receive the blanket in a signed box.

“So that’s kind of the perk of getting it from me,” he said.