Denver, Colo., June 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- United Tribes Technical College graduate (2025) Belle Brings Plenty (Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe) is the 2025 winner of the Tribal College Blanket Design. Her design, Journey, is now available for purchase as part of the Pendleton Woolen Mills’ American Indian College Fund collection. The acclaimed lifestyle brand from Portland, Oregon has created wool blankets in partnership with the College Fund for more than 20 years. A portion of the sales from the blanket collection provides nearly $50,000 in annual Native student scholarships. Pendleton also contributes to a scholarship endowment that, combined with the total of scholarships disbursed, exceeds $2.5 million.
Brings Plenty graduated this semester with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from United Tribes Technical College. Her design was selected from a pool of 33 submissions from talented Native artists attending tribal colleges.
Brings Plenty first drafted her design on a pair of parfleche (rawhide) earrings, a medium she was more familiar with, before transferring it to a blanket.
Her design was created in honor of her late brother, Cole Brings Plenty, who passed in April 2024. She says her design elements are deeply symbolic and meant to wrap people in love whether they are experiencing grief or welcoming new life.
The geometric shapes are used in traditional Lakóta artwork. The dragonfly at the center is a symbol of healing medicine. The dragonfly is a traveler and the star symbols surrounding it represent that Star Nation. The squares along the borders are comprised of quillwork and beadwork designs to honor Brings Penty’s lineage of quill workers and beaders. The diamond shapes in the background also speak to her parfleche work, a nod to her roots as an artist.
Even the colors she chose hold significance. The red and blue symbolize life and death. The blue background also honors the Wakíyan Oyáte (Thunder Being Nation) in recognition of the blessings they’ve provided her people. Lakóta words for each symbol and color used have been included in the design, and even their cream color is a reference to the shade of the rawhide Brings Plenty prefers to work with. The Lakóta word for “journey,” Oómani, can be read in this ledger art aspect of the design.
“I just want people to be able to connect with this blanket in their own ways. I hope people can be able to wrap themselves in this blanket and feel loved,” Brings Plenty says.
The Tribal College Blanket Design Competition is an annual contest open to all Native TCU students. Applications open every November on the College Fund’s website at https://collegefund.org/pendleton. The contest seeks to create greater recognition for promising Native student artists’ work, to provide valuable design experience working with an internationally known brand, and to give students scholarships and cash awards to assist with college costs. The program also helps the College Fund and Pendleton honor the richness of Native arts, cultures, and stories by sharing original Native student designs with the public.
Journey can be purchased online from the American Indian College Fund’s collection on the Pendleton web site at https://www.pendleton-usa.com/home-blankets/featured/american-indian-college-fund/ and in select Pendleton retail stores.
About Pendleton Woolen Mills — Weaving iconic designs since 1863, Pendleton operates two of America’s remaining woolen mills located in Pendleton, Oregon and Washougal, Washington. With six generations of family ownership, Pendleton is focused on a legacy of creating quality lifestyle products with timeless styling. Inspiring customers for 160 years, Pendleton products are available at Pendleton stores across the US, select retailers worldwide, and on pendleton-usa.com.
About the American Indian College Fund — The American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native higher education for 37 years. The College Fund believes “Education is the answer” and provided more than $23 million in scholarships and other student support for higher education in 2024-25. Since its founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than $391 million in scholarships, programs, community, and tribal college support. The College Fund also supports a variety of programs at the nation’s 35 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators. It earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid (Guidestar), and the “Best in America Seal of Excellence” from the Independent Charities of America. The College Fund was also named as one of the nation’s top 100 charities to the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit collegefund.org.
Journalists—The American Indian College Fund does not use the acronym AICF. On second reference, please use the College Fund.
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Dina Horwedel American Indian College Fund 303-430-5350 dhorwedel@collegefund.org Colleen R. Billiot Public Education and Communications Associate 720-214-2569 cbilliot@collegefund.org
