16041: Patrick DesJarlait—Native American Artist And Adman.

During National Native American Heritage Month—and on Native American Heritage Day—it seems fitting to spotlight the late Patrick DesJarlait, whose storied résumé includes U.S. Navy veteran, fine artist and adman.

 

DesJarlait was raised on the Red Lake Indian Reservation—now referred to as the Red Lake Nation—in northern Minnesota. The reservation is home to the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians (also known as the Ojibwe People).

 

In Adland, DesJarlait worked as a freelance and full-time commercial artist for midwestern White advertising agencies.

 

At Campbell-Mithun, DesJarlait hatched the Hamm’s Bear that starred in the famous Hamm’s Beer campaign for many years. The beer brand sought to project an image of the great outdoors via its theme: The Land of Sky Blue Waters. Drawing from his life at Red Lake—where bears roamed the area—DesJarlait designed the iconic character.

 

DesJarlait is also responsible for Mia, the Land O’Lakes Native American maiden. Despite the historical controversies and ultimate erasure of the figure, DesJarlait’s original intent was to honor Native Americans and forward a positive symbol—actually countering the stereotypical depictions and invisibility of Indigenous Peoples in advertising and media.

 

 

In short, DesJarlait leveraged his cultural experience to make significant and breakthrough creative contributions—proving the power of diversity. Yet the 2022 ANA Diversity Report recorded that American Indians and Alaskan Natives make up 0.4% of the industry—while accounting for 0.68% of the U.S. population. It’s another case of the underserved and underrepresented under the specter of systemic racism in Adland.

 

To extend the rant, the scenario also shows how minorities must perform at much higher levels than White counterparts to succeed in the field. After all, DesJarlait produced two classic campaign characters—in addition to being a military veteran, published author, educator and recognized fine artist with paintings in the permanent collection of the Minnesota Museum of American Art.

 

Meanwhile, Chief Diversity Officers and Human Heat Shields aren’t even trying to launch reservation recruitment schemes.

 

[Learn more about Patrick DesJarlait]