Nations of Resilience
Nations of Resilience: Standing Up | Standing Proud | Standing Strong was an interactive pop-up exhibit that addresses the largely untold history, successes and challenges of Native Americans. University of Maryland graphic design students designed the visuals and the space for this exhibit.
Summary
This project explored ways to address the largely untold history, successes, and challenges of Native Americans. The two key messages Native stakeholders wanted the exhibition to convey were that Natives still exist and that they are modern-day members of society, standing in contrast to the outdated stereotyped versions. The project resulted in an interactive pop-up exhibition hosted on University of Maryland campus. We employed immediate impact surveys during the event. Results show that most exhibition visitors came away with greater awareness about the challenges and resiliency of Native Americans.
Collaborators
UMD American Indian Student Union group, Naliyah Kaya, UMD 2018 senior design cohort
Details
During the Fall 2017 semester the design students collaborated with members of the American Indian Student Union (AISU) group. They researched the different Native American issues, talked to the AISU students about their concerns, and then created this exhibit that features this information and more.
Visitors use black light flashlights to “discover” the hidden and often-underreported aspects of Native life. One of the main points the Native students wanted to convey was that they and their cultures have persevered.
Each strand of a beaded sculpture installation represents one of the more than 550 federally recognized tribes in the United States.
The exhibit incorporates large-format posters, a three-dimensional work, a slideshow of AISU students and their activities, and Native American music.
A participatory piece asked visitors to indicate how they connect to these Native issues and topics.