55

Echo Ukrainetz
Legend of The Blanket Flower

batik with gold and silver powder
30 x 21 in.

$4,500–$5,500

(Thank you, NativeShinee, for permission to use photo reference)

“Firewheel is also known as indian blanket flower (the flower shown in the beadwork), a name that comes from a legend. The story goes the braves from a native american tribe went to war, leaving behind their wives and children. Soon after, the wife of the chief began weaving a blanket for her husband. In the blanket she wove threads of red, orange, and yellow, each pattern a symbol of her prayer to the Great Spirit to keep her husband safe.

One day, the daughter of the chief was out playing in the woods and got lost. Night soon fell, and the little girl prayed to the Great Spirit to send the blanket to keep her warm during the night. She fell asleep.

The next morning, she found herself covered in flowers of the same red, orange and yellow, colors as the blanket. Her father, returning from war, found his daughter covered in the beautiful flowers. From that time on, they were called Indian blanket flowers.”

The wild species of the Blanet Flower (Gaillardia) covers the ground with a blanket of brightly colored daisy-like flowers in shades of red, orange, and yellow.

140

Brent Learned
Four Brothers

acrylic
16 x 20 in.

$2,500–$3,000

“Take only what you need and leave the land as you found it.”

Four Brothers is a painting about Cheyenne and Arapaho brothers being connected and how we must work together to preserve what we have for future generations. Growing up both Cheyenne and Arapaho, I was taught that we are here to preserve the land. We don’t own it, but we will pass it on to the next generation. The plants and animals are here for us to live with in harmony as well. We come from the dust and we go back to the dust, the cycle of life.

Place of memory is all around us; we have to listen to all living things as they will listen to us.