visible  

︎︎︎2021
︎︎︎typeface

Native American women are 2 to 3 times more likely than women of any other race to experience violence, stalking or sexual assault, according to the Justice Department. 4 in 5, or 84%, of Native American women have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. Indigenous women are also murdered at a rate 10% more than the national average. Symbols hold a great deal of value in Native American culture. These symbols often depict celestial bodies, natural phenomena, everyday objects and animals. Inspired by Native American symbolism, I developed a system of glyphs that correlate with the English alphabet. Every symbol in the system is derived from an existing Native symbol. Each glyph represents a different letter in the alphabet. I intend for this typeface to be utilized as a coded language that would enable Indigneous women to communicate messages confidentially. This system would allow women to share their safety status in a non-verbal way. These symbols could then be deciphered to reveal the messages that women wish to communicate secretly. This language would relieve the fears surrounding reporting and speaking up about violence against Indigenous women.

Beadwork is a invaluable craft within Native culture. Using a loom, needle and seed beads, I hand-beaded two bracelets that incorporate my typeface: Visible. The pink bracelet reads “safe” and the green bracelet reads “help.” These bracelets would act as another form of silent communication. By wearing either one of the bracelets, others would be able to understand and acknowledge the condition of the woman. If a woman was in danger or in need of assitance, they would wear the green bracelet. If a woman were safe and content they could communicate that by wearing the pink bracelet.