First American Art Magazine No. 0, Spring 2013 | Page 12

Exploring Native Graphic Design
Neebinnaukzhik Southall

aniin! I am a member
of the Chippewas of
Rama First Nation, a
mixed Native
American-white
graphic designer with a
passion for Indigenous
design. While studying
graphic design at
Oregon State University, I knew few
other Natives in my school’s design
program. I realized that I could not
name a single prominent Native
designer in the field. After further
research, I did find several excellent,
inspiring Native designers, but I
realized how much the design
industry in the United States and
Canada is dominated by non-Native
peoples. Native perspectives and
experiences are left out, and this
unbalance in a very ethnically diverse
continent is symptomatic of greater
ongoing social inequities.
t’s vitally important that
successful Indigenous graphic
designers have a strong
presence, especially in such a
visual, media-saturated age.
Skilled graphic design as
practiced by Native people is
an expression of Indigenous
sovereignty. For much of US and
Canadian history, Native visual and
material cultures were suppressed as a
way to undermine and attempt to
eradicate Indigenous people. Native
design can be and has been a way to
positively carry our cultures with us
into our everyday lives. While graphic
design as a field has Asian and
European roots, it can be a part of
Indigenous cultural reclamation.

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Native-made design has been used to
promote positive Native identities,
causes, and organizations. An
excellent case in point includes the
iconic posters and other design work
created by Dwayne Bird (First
Nations) and Andy Everson (K’omoksKwakwaka’wakw) in support of the
Idle No More movement.
y choice to design with
Native imagery has
caused me to not only
examine and better
understand the different visual
cultures of other tribes, but it has also
led me to investigate my own people’s
visual history and culture and
integrate into myself a deeper
understanding of where I come from
and who my people are. It’s important
for people to see that where they
come from is creatively valuable and
relevant.

G

reat graphic design is
inspirational. For Native
designers, wouldn’t it be nice
to quickly and easily find rich
information about other Native
designers? Wouldn’t it be good to
build on their insights and learn
from them, instead of struggling
alone? Wouldn’t it be useful to
have a supportive community to
discuss unique design situations and
challenges that non-Natives may not
understand?

ative peoples should
recognize, support, and
nurture Native talent in the
design field. Community is valued
across Native cultures—Native

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designers need a professional
organization.

R

ecently, I asked Victor Pascual
(Navajo-Mayan), a prominent
graphic designer and the creative lead
of DGTL/NVJO, about his insights
and experiences relating to Natives
and design. What I drew from that
meeting is that such a professional
organization is possible, and that he is
also personally making efforts toward
it, but it will take a lot of work,
structure, and dedication. Can we
make it happen?
e can build a stronger
understanding of and
insight into what we do.
This column will
provide a platform to
bring greater visibility to Native
graphic designers as well as to
promote excellence in Native design.
I’ll share individual perspectives of
designers, highlight all sorts of
projects (whether typography, logo
design, branding, layouts, or other
projects), discuss how designers’ tribal
backgrounds influence the way they
approach their work, and otherwise
explore the visual, philosophical, and
social implications of the intersection
of Native cultures and graphic design.
If you are interested in sharing your
perspective as a Native designer, please
get in touch with me.
Chi-miigwetch.

www.neebin.com/nativedesign
Images: Angel DeCora (Ho-Chunk, 1871–1919)