University

Falmouth University, U.K.

The Prompt

Final M.A. Thesis

Background

My final thesis for my MA in Graphic Design with Falmouth University centered around Sherman Indian High School, one of four remaining off-reservation boarding schools for Native American high schoolers still in operation in the U.S. I wanted to use this opportunity to explore how graphic design could play a role in social justice issues.

This thesis gave me the opportunity to meet and collaborate with Native American educators, artists, and community leaders. As somebody who was born and raised in colonized territories, I feel it is imperative that we recognize and respect the communities whose land we live on. This project gave me the opportunity to address this point and collaborate with members of local Native American communities.

Response

Through this process of collaboration, I developed an exhibition with three of Sherman’s teachers entitled Recapturing the Narrative: Art Education at Sherman Indian High School. The exhibited pieces glimpse into the dynamic personalities and creatives that have left their mark at Sherman over the years. They recapture a narrative often overlooked and rewritten by those who are unfamiliar with Native American identities. Accompanying the exhibition, I developed a critical report that researched the history of the art, craft, and design produced at Sherman over the century.