Your words are sure to have extra power when written in our Bear Claws Notebook by Blackfeet artist and Inspired Native Collaborator John Isaiah Pepion.
“This design was influenced by the war shirts of the Blackfeet and Plains peoples,” shares John. “War shirts were traditionally made from elk hides and designed with first porcupine quills, and then beads when trading became more common. There were different ways to earn a war shirt, from going to war, telling a story, or stealing horses. They could be given as part of a ceremony that included rituals and song, and some had special powers, like being bulletproof.”
The cross or plus sign in this design represents the Morning Star, while the sharp triangles represent bear claws. “The claws are from the Grizzly Bear,” John says. “Grizzlies are one of the most sacred and powerful animals for Blackfeet people. They represent protection, medicine, and power.”
- 100 sheets of wide ruled paper
- Hard cover; spiral bound
- 8.75" x 11.5" / 22.22 cm x 29.21 cm
- Imported
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