Bois Forte Heritage Center

The Iron Range of northern Minnesota is home to the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa. Split Rock Studios teamed up with the Band to create a heritage center dedicated to the past, present and future of the Band.

This project was near and dear to my heart, so I was very excited to be chosen as the lead graphic designer. I included many symbols of Chippewa culture into the graphic direction. I chose a black background and jewel-toned type to give homage to the beautiful bead and quillwork of Chippewa tradition. I created the circular-shaped border on the panels as a reminder that all life is connected. The moccasins that walk around the circular border indicate the journey that we are on. I contacted an archivist at the MN Historical Society to locate and photograph moccasins that were created by a member of the Bois Forte Band.

At the entrance to the exhibit is a large photo mural that represents every family group in the Band. After days of sifting through a large box of prints, scanning and compositing, I had created a mural that included at least one member of every family in the Band.