Star Journey Swaddle Blankets

“I want babies to feel radically loved,” says Dr. Alayna Eagle Shield (Lakota, Dakota, Arikara), the artist, health worker, educator, and activist who designed our Star Journey Swaddle Blankets. “In a way, we created these swaddles as a way to publicly celebrate and welcome babies here from their long journey across the stars. They are so loved.” Alayna has decorated her Star Journey Swaddle Blankets with Dakota florals, geometric designs, and other elements that adorn the treasured items she and her partner have made for their own children, including cradleboards. “We began creating our first cradleboard in 2020, after we found out we were pregnant with our third baby,” shares Alayna. “We had a vision for the designs we wanted on the cradleboard—buffalo, tipis, stars, ancestors on horseback, and more.” Additional design inspiration for the swaddles came from a beaded bonnet Alayna and her partner made for their son. “We are creators through and through,” says Alayna. “We’re taught tha