For centuries, the Indigenous people of North America have preserved their histories through art. Blackwing's Volume 574 Pencil Set pays tribute to the functional and beautiful facets of Native American art, and the stories it continues to keep alive. As more and more Native Americans were displaced by westward-expanding colonialism, art became a vessel for preserving their culture as well as their history. Their daily lives were recorded through paintings, songs, stories, and dances. Native American art acts as a bridge to Indigenous cultures and offering a unique perspective on their history. These works enrich the lives of all Americans, providing a window into the world through Indigenous eyes. The Blackwing 574 is a tribute to Native American art and the 574 nations that use it to assert agency and identity. We worked with Kaw, Osage, Lakota artist Chris Pappan to design a pencil that evokes geometric patterns found throughout many Native American expressions of culture. Each pencil includes Blackwing's Firm graphite core. A portion of the proceeds from this release will be donated to the Cheyenne River Youth Project and their mission to provide enriching arts programs to Lakota youth on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation.
