As for the event itself, Ezhishin will include over a dozen panels and presentations – each only 20 minutes in length, functioning as a “sampling of what all is out there”, says Ksenya. Topics such as: “From Logos to Layouts: Appreciating Letterforms and Working with Type in Ways That Honor Indigenous Aesthetics”, will be explored by speakers such as Kevin Coochwytewa. Workshops will also be held from 13 November.
On the curation process for Ezhishin, Ksenya affirms: “Collaboration is absolutely vital”. Beyond the work and knowledge contributed by the array of speakers taking part, type designer and Tulsey Type founder Chris Skillern has produced Ezhishin’s logo, drawing from the forms of Cherokee beadwork. The custom font, available in three weights, has been created “with a mind towards Native cultural revitalization and self-determination”, the TDC site explains, echoing “the organic, curvilinear shapes found in Cherokee beadwork”. The font is completed for the site with coding from Eric Jacobsen. “Sébastien Aubin has contributed as a script expert for TDC outside of this event as well,” Ksenya lists.
“This conference is an example of what a positive partnership to uplift diverse communities looks like,” co-curator Neebinnaukzhik Southall states on the TDC site. “The work of Native designers has frequently been left out of conversations in the mainstream and not adequately addressed in design history. We want to change that situation.”