In Fall 2021, team members Karli Tyance Hassell (Anishinaabe), James Temte (Northern Cheyenne), Matthew Druckenmiller, Jenna Vater, Alaska Native artists Joseph (Iñupiaq) and Martha (Unangax̂) Senungetuk, and graphic designer Sebastian Garber (Athabascan) came together to discuss a vision for the NNA-CO logo design and significance. The result was a seal design that was first sketched by Joseph from ancestral memory of an ancient Iñupiaq artwork.
In this video, Joseph and Martha reflect on the seal design and what it means for the Arctic.
The "The Story of the Seal Design" provides additional information about the artists, the process to develop the logo, and the meaning behind UUMMATIÑ IÑUURUQ ("Your heart is alive"). The team not only focused on the design and its significance, but discussed broader impacts of climate change, the history of research, Indigenous protocols and values, and working together towards leaving a positive legacy among Arctic spaces.
UUMMATIÑ IÑUURUQ pronunciation
Seward Peninsula Dialect
North Slope/North West Dialect