Our logo was designed by Joleece Pecore (Ho-Chunk, Mohican, Oneida, Menominee) for our office in the Spring (2023). Prominent features/imagery in the logo include: the circle, the Bdote, an eagle feather, and the Minneapolis city skyline.
Artist Statement
Q & A with Joleece Pecore on the Design
- What are some of the images/places featured in the logo?
The images featured in the logo are a circle, the Bdote, the Minneapolis skyline, and an eagle feather.
- What’s the significance of the images, places (or colors) you used?
The circle is a feature of the previous logo that I wanted to keep. This was to represent both the history of the Circle of Indigenous Nations, its name, and the strive towards balance in many Native nations’ cultures. Within the circle is the Minneapolis skyline as seen from the COIN office in Appleby Hall. Overlaying the skyline is the Bdote; the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers and the birthplace of the Dakota. I thought it was important to include something that symbolize the Dakota homelands in which the University of Minnesota occupies. Lastly, the eagle feather represents the diverse Indigenous communities represented on campus.
3. What did the process (or timeline) of designing the logo look like for you?
I started working on the logo in October, 2021, after noticing that the one we had been using was an outdated photograph of Minneapolis from the COIN office window. I began with sketching some ideas of what I thought the Circle of Indigenous Nations represented and what we do for campus. After creating several versions of this draft, I presented it for community feedback from Native/Indigenous students, staff, and faculty that work with COIN or frequent the office. From their feedback, I redrew a couple more drafts and requested more feedback. In the end, I drew nine versions of the new prospective logo with a handful of different variations for each version. With a final round of community feedback and revisions, I combined some of the versions I had made and ideas from feedback to make the final version of the COIN logo that was representative of the office.
- How does the issue/topic of (Indigenous/Native) place influence your creative/artistic work or approach? `
The topic of place heavily influenced my creative approach for this logo. As this is Dakota land, I wanted to create something that was respectful and representative of this place as an Indigenous person that is from Wisconsin rather than Minnesota. To achieve this goal, I tried to get as much feedback as I could from both Dakota and Ojibwe people on campus as the Ojibwe also originated from this area. In the earliest versions of the logo, I first drew florals that came from Dakota and Ojibwe designs to represent this land. However, I learned through this process that it would be too detailed for a logo where instead we needed a simple yet defined design to represent COIN. When I learned of the Bdote and its importance, I wanted to include it in the logo, especially seeing as the office is right by the Mississippi river. Before I did so, I made sure that it would be appropriate with Dakota people on campus as well as others who had more authority on this knowledge.
