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Sealaska Heritage
Institute (SHI)

SHI Website: https://sealaskaheritage.org/

About Company: 

As described on their website: https://sealaskaheritage.org/about-shi-alaska/


"Sealaska Heritage Institute is a Native nonprofit founded in 1980 to perpetuate and enhance Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian cultures of Southeast Alaska. Its goals are to promote cultural diversity and cross-cultural understanding through public services and events. Sealaska Heritage also conducts scientific and public policy research that promotes Alaska Native arts, cultures, history and education statewide.....We offer numerous programs promoting Southeast Alaskan Native culture, including language and art. We maintain a substantial archive of Southeast Alaskan Native ethnographic material. We partner with local schools to promote academics and cultural education. Biennially, we produce Celebration, one of Alaska’s largest Native gatherings. We own and operate the Sealaska Heritage Store and curate cultural exhibits on the first floor of our headquarters in Juneau’s landmark Walter Soboleff Building."

My Job: 

At SHI, I work at the lead graphic designer, with a focus in graphic design, branding, and style for SHI publications, such as Box of Knowledge, Annual Report, and Traditional Games. Development, design, and production of books, curriculum, brochures, exhibit materials, posters, and other publications. Prepare publications for offset and digital printing. Web and app design for exhibits and language programs. Assist other departments with print and product design.

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Along with helping on site as needed during Celebration, a huge part of my job for the event was creating consistent branding throughout the event, working with the directors to make the designs easily readable and accessible for our community, while making it artistically different from previous events. 

1. Logo and art design ideas for the event. All designs were considered for the shirt. 

2. Typography guide for event with examples to the right for signage

3. Variants of the artwork throrugh shape and color. 

4. Variants for the shirt and color usage within logo.

5. Color ideas for the shirts

6. Color ideas for the shirts 2

7. Color and gradient guides for the event, as well as alternate fonts. 

About:

Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) holds the event named 'Celebration' in Juneau in June every two years. This past event was Juneau 5-8, 2024. 

The event lasts over four days in Juneau, Native groups from all across Alaska and other parts of the US come dressed in their regalia and sing, dance, share food and stories, sell their art, and so much more. This event in particular favors the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures. 

Celebration is one of the largest gatherings of Southeast Alaska Native peoples in the world, as well as the second largest event sponsored by Alaska Natives in Alaska. There are at least 5,000 people that attend the event, with more than 2,000 dancers. Even more attend online. ​​

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Alaska Native Reading Standards

​About:

Graphic design process for a visual for the first-ever reading standards for Native languages to the Alaska State Board of Education and Early Development. These standards describe to educators what students in the grades K-3 should know at each stage of their educational journey. 

My part in the development of the standards was the create the visual for students and teachers alike of how their journey should flow. The original vision was to make the visual look like a glacial stream. This was refined and simplified considerably to make it easier for educators to use while still harkening back to the local landscapes of the region. 

Link to the article:
https://sealaskaheritage.org/indigenous-educators-submit-first-ever-reading-standards-for-alaska-native-languages-to-state/

Link to the Document:
https://sealaskaheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/ANLARS-Report-Final-1.pdf   ((pg 8))

Baby Raven Reads Concept Designs

​About:

Baby Raven Reads is a SHI program that "promotes early literacy, language development, and school readiness for Alaska Native families with children up to age 5."  

The above images are in progress design concepts for the new vocabulary books for young readers.  The books were broken down into a couple of categories: Birds, Bears, Marine Animals, and Salmon. The designs are a combination of graphic lines that I sketched on paper and refined through photoshop and formline art owned by Sealaska Heritage Institute. 

The books are still in progress, and these are just concepts in the meantime.

Link to the program description:
https://sealaskaheritage.org/shi-sponsorships-baby-raven-reads/

Link to the books:
https://sealaska-heritage-store.myshopify.com/collections/baby-raven-reads

Sealaska Heritage Institute 2023 Highlights

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1.  Faces of Alaska Event Spread

2. Totem Trail Visual Spread

3. NYO Event Spread

4. NYO Event Names Visual Spread

5. Artwork on Display Graphic

6. Donors of Objects and Collections Visual

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About:

A book featuring highlights of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian programs operated by the Native nonprofit Sealaska Heritage Institute in 2023.

My contributions: Lead Designer and editor​

Where you can buy:

https://a.co/d/254ZwjS

Credits for the art and writing go to: 

Author- Sealaska Heritage Institute, Kathy Rose Dye

Designer (Illustrator)- Mckenzie Hyde

Editors- Mari Kramer, Rosita Worl

Photographers- Stacy Unzicker, Kai Monture, Brian Wallace, Mircea Brown

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Sealaska Heritage Institute 2022 Highlights

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1. Letter from the President Spread

2. Celebration 2022 Details Spread

3. STEAM Program Details Spread

4. NYO Event Details Spread

5. Exhibits Art Details Spread

About:

A book featuring highlights of Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian programs operated by the Native nonprofit Sealaska Heritage Institute in 2022.

My contributions: Lead Designer and editor​

Where you can buy:

https://a.co/d/1KCOsIF

Credits for the art and writing go to: 
 

Author- Sealaska Heritage Institute, Kathy Rose Dye

Designer (Illustrator)- Mckenzie Hyde

Editors- Amy Fletcher, Rosita Worl

Photographers- Stacy Unzicker, Nobu Koch, Kai Monture, Brian Wallace, Mircea Brown

1. Cover of the       
    Everyday Haida 
    book

2. Glossary 

3. Kitchen Spread

4. Color and Numbers
    Spread

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Everday Languages Dictionaries

About: 

As written in article:   "Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) has published a trilogy of illustrated dictionaries that teach vocabulary for the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian languages. The series, featuring “Everyday Tlingit,” “Everyday Haida” and “Everyday Tsimshian,” is intended to teach Native words to children in grades K-5 but may also be used by people of all ages who want to learn the vocabularies."

Link to article:

https://sealaskaheritage.org/shi-publishes-illustrated-dictionary-series-tlingit-haida-tsimshian-languages/

My Input: Designer of all three books. I worked in tandem with the editors and language scholars to put together the artwork and the language so that each books fairly represented the language. Used photoshop as needed to cut pages in half and recreate the art style as needed to the language.

Link to purchase: Books are by request only currently.

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Box of Knowledge Series

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Description of the Box of Knowledge Series.

"SHI’s Box of Knowledge Series consists of essays, reports, and books that the institute considers should be made available as a contribution to studies on Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures, history, and languages."

 

Link to Information:
chromeextension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://sealaskaheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/SHI-Alaska-Box-of-Knowledge-Catalog.pdf

My contributions on Books 1 - 6: Book cover designer, secondary editor to Amy Fletcher on layout of books.​ A selection (2 -4) is included left.

My contributions on Book 7: Lead designer of both book cover and layout of the inside of the book. 

All Books Worked on: (( 5-7 not included here ))

 

1. Tlingit Law, American Injustice, and the Destruction of Tlingit Villages

2. Significance of Tlingit & Haida Indians of AK v US

3. Doing Battle with the Halibut People

4. Aas Kwáani, People of the Trees, Ancient Ceremonial Rites

5. Southeast Alaska Native Cultural Memorial Ceremonies Manual

6. Ḵáa Eeti G̱aax̱í: The Last Cry

7. The Crests of Tlingit Clans

8. Art of the Northwest Coast and Beyond.

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Where you can find the whole series online: 

https://sealaska-heritage-store.myshopify.com/collections/box-of-knowledge

Credits for art, photography, and text go to the authors, listed in the credits of each book.

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