Client Spotlight: An Indigenized Sea to Tree Logo

It's not just about aesthetics

Sea to Tree Health & Wellness wanted to create an Indigenized version of their logo for use on orange shirts, stickers, mugs, and fundraising merchandise. The goal was to support their team and the community while contributing to important causes like the Indian Residential School Survivors Society (IRSSS).

Sea to Tree’s team approached the project with humility and respect. The first step was to find out whether there is a formal process or protocol we could follow with this. It was decided to send a “call for artists” with design brief to the T’Sou-ke Nation to see who was interested in working with us on this.

 

Commissioning the Artwork

In our role as Sea to Tree’s marketing support, we created a design brief that balanced clarity and cultural respect, drawing on our experiences with a similar project for middle school Center Mountain Lellum. The timeline was ambitious, so we knew we had one chance to make sure that this brief gave applying artists all the information they needed. That process led to the commission of Coast Salish artist Jordanna George, whose interpretation of the logo was proudly applied to stickers, t-shirts, and mugs. Beyond being beautiful, these items became part of Sea to Tree’s fundraising and awareness efforts.

Sea to Tree's whale logo in its original and indigenized version. Displayed is also an orange shirt with the indigenized logo.

Quote:

“We love it, and cannot thank Jordanna enough for sharing their creative talent and work with us (and for being an absolute joy to work with). HÍSWKE!” – Sea to Tree Health & Wellness

 

About the Artist

Jordanna George is an artist of mixed T’Sou-ke and Ukrainian ancestry. Originally from Sooke, BC, they now live on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, and Kwikwetlem nations in Coquitlam, BC. They received a BFA from the University of Victoria in 2019, and since then have primarily been making comics and illustrations, exploring themes of identity, belonging, and hope, and pulling influence from Indigeneity, queerness, and science fiction. The rest of Jordanna’s artistic practice involves painting and sculpture, following similar themes to their illustrative work. They can be found at jordannageorge.com and on social media as @raebirdart.

 

Why this Matters

Projects like this are a reminder that design is not just about aesthetics, but about relationships and meaning. Even something like a logo variant can become a bridge between business and community, past and future.

We’re honoured to have supported Sea to Tree and Jordanna George in this collaboration, and we’re proud to see how the Indigenized logo is now part of the ongoing work toward truth, reconciliation, and community care.

Posted in

Photo of a woman with brown hair looking to the top right, overlaid with the drawn outlines of a space helmet. A thought bubble is hovering above.

Written by Almostronaut Marleen, Creative Director & Chief Almostronaut

First published on September 30, 2023

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We respectfully express our gratitude and appreciation to live and create on the unceded traditional territory of the T’Sou-ke First Nation - HÍSW̱KE - as well as the lands around the Mississippi (Bulbancha) River where Native peoples have lived since time immemorial. We strive to uphold our mutual values of storytelling and environmental stewardship.

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