This year has presented a dazzling variety of projects, especially those specific to educational collaborations. In order to properly convey and acknowledge the depth of each of the things I have been immersed in and thank those who have been a part of them I will be taking my time to thoroughly write out posts for each.
Nudech'ghela Flag Becomes Official
The first "project" of 2021 I would like to elaborate on isn't necessarily a piece of artwork, an ongoing job, or even an event that I've been involved with, it's an action of a whole nation and culture that I can say I have played an active role in.
Last year when I created a national flag for my tribal nation as a response to the negative impacts of popular American socio-cultural and socio-political initiatives I did so with the intention to accomplish one thing: Establish a visual presence for our nation to emphasize our independence and self-determination, and to show those concepts include both culture and society as much as they do politics and stewardship. Later last year I created a Patreon page to help fund the creation of these flags and my work associated with the Nudech'ghela Flag and Niqnalchint Tribe's cultural programs, however this source of outreach ended up being redundant. That's because this year the tribal administration decided toofficially adopt this as the flag of our nation, making it no longer just a design of one person's concept of our place and people. The flag can now be seen at the several offices and administrative facilities across our territory and at homes and private businesses. What's special about this being a national flag is that is has a civil use independent from the government's seal, and anyone who supports our tribe can use it as well without insinuating they are endorsed by our government in some official capacity.
It is a bizarre feeling to see how something that I have orchestrated is now being used as a civil symbol, and it is now a part of a new context of ownership that extends far beyond that of one person or entity. For better or worse, flags and symbols used in similar contexts have united and divided thousands of not millions of cultures and entities across the globe for generations. What I have learned about this design process and evolution is that these symbols are only reactions of a people frozen in them. They are a way reflect an emotion a group of people collectively feel and when those emotions and societies evolve their symbols do too as well.
For now, this is the now the flag of our nation and I am incredibly proud to have been the person who has brought it forward. For us to have our own flag and focal point of our national identity not something I would have ever considered to happen in my lifetime, much something that has originated in my design.
Last year when I created a national flag for my tribal nation as a response to the negative impacts of popular American socio-cultural and socio-political initiatives I did so with the intention to accomplish one thing: Establish a visual presence for our nation to emphasize our independence and self-determination, and to show those concepts include both culture and society as much as they do politics and stewardship. Later last year I created a Patreon page to help fund the creation of these flags and my work associated with the Nudech'ghela Flag and Niqnalchint Tribe's cultural programs, however this source of outreach ended up being redundant. That's because this year the tribal administration decided toofficially adopt this as the flag of our nation, making it no longer just a design of one person's concept of our place and people. The flag can now be seen at the several offices and administrative facilities across our territory and at homes and private businesses. What's special about this being a national flag is that is has a civil use independent from the government's seal, and anyone who supports our tribe can use it as well without insinuating they are endorsed by our government in some official capacity.
It is a bizarre feeling to see how something that I have orchestrated is now being used as a civil symbol, and it is now a part of a new context of ownership that extends far beyond that of one person or entity. For better or worse, flags and symbols used in similar contexts have united and divided thousands of not millions of cultures and entities across the globe for generations. What I have learned about this design process and evolution is that these symbols are only reactions of a people frozen in them. They are a way reflect an emotion a group of people collectively feel and when those emotions and societies evolve their symbols do too as well.
For now, this is the now the flag of our nation and I am incredibly proud to have been the person who has brought it forward. For us to have our own flag and focal point of our national identity not something I would have ever considered to happen in my lifetime, much something that has originated in my design.