b'INDIGENOUS DESIGNwant to be. Dont be afraid to go offart school, youre often categorizedthat just does graphic design, printing the beaten path. as either an artist or a designer.or asset creation for other people. Artists create beautiful things, while aMaybe after that I can be a business MM: There wasnt any kind of repre- designer is a problem-solver: how doowner. But Ill never give up having a sentation of Indigenous designers inyou convey your message, your feel- hand in the creative stuff.my curriculum, and I think a criticalings, in a way that is understandable to juncture in my development as ayour audience? And I think I love thatMM: I love the impact of what we designer in school was when my minorthe most. How do you organize thedo in both a micro and macro way. was in Indigenous Visual Culture andinformation in a beautiful way thatsMicro: watching someone navigate we did a project where we got toeasy to understand, looks nice, andat an event through a map that we interact with actual birchbark scrollshelps people understand? made, watching someone follow aand thats when it clicked for me. Ipresentation through the hierarchy spent so much time studying the workWhere do I see myself going? Ivewe made. Macro: talking to people of people who werent Indigenous. Ijourneyed from assistant to lead towho dont know that I work at Indspire had to dig for it, and I dont want othermanager. Ultimately, I still want toabout the impact of their education people to have to dig for it.be a creative person and never wantand how they couldnt have done it to give that up. I really think a Creativewithout Indspire. Knowing that theres Always be a good listener. Thats aDirector is where I want to be, becausea tangible difference because of us trait in the people I admire the most.I still have that authority over things,and literally watching it happen, seeing What has always led me in the rightbut I can still be creative and hold onfriends go back to school, get funded, direction has always been the abilityto that piece of me that I never wantand seeing their lives change because to be a good listener. Thats my job,to let go of. Im a very hands-on learnerof what we do. Its really cool that I can in a way. If youre a good listener, youand I also teach in a hands-on way. Itshave a hand in that! can find inspiration in lots of differentalso not something thats often seen in places and take direction well, butan in-house role; most often, theyreI dont really have any concrete plans also listen to your own gut. Especiallyin an agency, overseeing the creativefor the future. Had I not come into this when youre just in university andof other portfolios as they happen.role, I would have created an agency deciding on your program, it can beBut youre not just directing, yourewith my friends for a similar reason. overwhelming, but just slow down andalso doing.There are a lot of things that I wish listen to yourselfits in there. were incorporated in our work as So I think thats my ultimate goal designers that I can envision creating. What do you love most about doingmaybe executive creative director. ButWhen I think about my legacy, I want what you doand where do you seeI cant give up being creative. Well seeto make sure that Im leaving it better yourself going? what happens. Ive tinkered with thethan it was. My hope would be that MJ: Creating beautiful things! Andidea of opening my own design agencywhatever I do in the next 20 years is also just organizing information. Inon Six Nations, because there isnt onethat the next Indigenous designer has to do less justification so that they can focus more on their strengths as a designer and not fight the system so much. Running an agency, being a creative director, would be one way I could do that. I dont know what that looks like just yet. Ill always be WE ARE AN INDIGENOUS-OWNED VIDEO creative, but it doesnt matter so PRODUCTION COMPANY & EDUCATIONAL PLATFORM much to me what it looks like as long THAT AMPLIFIES INDIGENOUS VOICES as it has impact.indigenousgeographic.ca INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.INDIGENOUS STORIES. Madison Johns is Manager of Design and Digital Strategy at Indspire. She is Mohawk, Turtle Clan, of Six Nations of the Grand River.OUR PROMISEMariah Meawasige is the RESPECT SEEKING UPHOLDINGDigital Marketing Lead at for more info, visit: Indspire and is a member of THROUGHTO TELL TRUECULTURAL AUTHENTICITY STORIES INTEGRITY Serpent River First Nation. 56indspiration2025'