Patrick DesJarlait
Anishnaabe (Ojibwe), 1921-1972
Born to Solomon and Elizabeth Blake DesJarlait, Patrick DesJarlait was the fourth of seven children. He is a member of the Red Lake Ojibwa. As a child Patrick spent a lot of his time wandering through the woods alone or with friends. Growing up on the Red Lake Indian Reservation, he was called Na-gwa-bo -- Boy in the Woods The experiences that he had in the forests around his home often became the subject matter of his drawings that he had done as a child.
After his mother died, when he was seven years old, Patrick spent most of his time in boarding schools in Red Lake and Pipestone, Minnesota. Red Lake High School is where he first developed an interest in an art career, with the encouragement from his English teacher, Miss Ross. After completing his high school education, he went on to study art at Arizona State College in Phoenix. A year later, during World War II, DesJarlait entered government service, where he was sent to teach an art workshop at a nearby Japanese Relocation Camp. Months later Patrick joined the US Navy, which sent him to San Diego, California. there working with artist from Walt Disney Studios he worked animated and produced films for the Navy." After World War II ended, Patrick returned home to Red Lake where he focused more on his artwork. A short time later, the DesJarlait family moved to the Twin Cities. Patrick found employment as a commercial artist. "Because of his experience of working with films he was chosen to make an animated television commercial for Hamm's Brewery. Soon, the comical and gentle Hamm's Beer bear, he created became a familiar part in the lives of television audiences of the 1950'. This opened him up to do more commercial art where he created the Land O' Lakes butter maiden. Later in his life He wanted to combine art with education. His dream was to teach non-Indian people about the beauty and dignity of the Ojibwa traditions. To keep with his dream he traveled throughout Minnesota talking to students about art.
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