7 Generations

We are proud to present “7 Generations," the latest blanket in the American Indian College Fund Collection which helps fund scholarships for Native American students. “7 Generations" is also our newest partnership with Nike’s N7 Fund, a trust whose mission is to bring sports to Native American and Aboriginal communities in the US and Canada.

Decoding the Symbols

This USA-made wool blanket illustrates the past, present and future of Native peoples. The central N7 motif represents the impact of each person (the diamond) on the three generations before and after (arrows). A storm pattern with zigzags of lightning honors heritage, while steps show the path to overcoming life’s challenges. The rich colors were inspired by traditional dyes, and reflect the beauty of the southwestern landscape.

The Designer

This blanket was designed by Tracie Jackson, a Diné artist and designer from Star Mountain in the Navajo Nation. She is a 4th generation artisan. Her grandparents and mother are silversmiths, and both her maternal great grandmothers are rug weavers. Her family encouraged her to study the traditional art forms of her tribe, and with their support she became a painter, jeweler, beader, and graphic designer.

Tracie studied design at the University of Oregon and currently works in Portland, Oregon, designing for the Nike N7 program. This has been her dream job since she was 14 years old, when she first saw N7 at a Native basketball tournament. “I was taught to get an education and use it to help our Native community, which pushed me to become a designer for N7."

Photos and Models

The photos of this collection are fantastic. You’ll notice that the designer and her models–athletes, leaders and activists–are holding shutter buttons, and choosing how to represent themselves in these photographs by taking their own shots. We are proud to be part of this.

See and Learn More

Please go see the entire collection here: Nike N7 collection

See the “7 Generations” blanket here: 7 Generations