the art + science of seeing issue 7 TEXT This work, or an earlier version of it, originally appeared as “Aesthetic Innovation in Indigenous Typefaces: Designing a Lushootseed font” in GLIMPSE | the art + science of seeing, issue 7, autumn 2010; http://www.glimpsejournal.com. AestheticAesthetic Innovation Innovation in in Indigenous Indigenous TypefacesTypefaces Designing a Lushootseed font by JulietBy Juliet Shen Shen TheThe role role of new of new typeface typeface designs designs in in languagelanguage preservation preservation This Thispast past June, June, I sat I amongsat among 350 350 linguists linguists and and educators educa- languages.(sans serif) Althoughmay offer the a more recentneutral in Eugene,tors in Eugene, Oregon, Oregon, and and listened listened toto aa keynote keynote designsspringboard of text from typefaces which without to design ser- addressaddress by byone one of ofthe the last last surviving surviving native speakersspeakers ifsnew (sans Native serif) Amaymerican offer afonts, more neutralraising of herof herAthabascan Athabascan language. language. TheThe NorthwestNorthwest Indian Indian springboardthe cultural from and which aesthetic to design appeal new LanguageLanguage Institute Institute at theat the University University of ofO regonOregon hosted Nativeof these American fonts fonts,calls raisingfor more the culturalthan the hostedStabilizing the Stabilizing Indigenous Indigenous Languages Languages Symposium, Sympo- andneutrality. aesthetic appeal of these fonts calls whichsium, I attended which I attended to speak to about speak aesthetic about aesthetic innovation for more than neutrality. in theinnovation design of in N theative design American of Native typefaces. American Innovation type- Most Native American languages had is neededfaces. Innovation to give indigenousis needed to typefaces give indigenous a stronger type- Mostno written Native Americanscript until languages the late had 20 noth culturalfaces identity, a stronger since cultural the identity,Latin typographic since the Latin design writtencentury, script when until linguists the late began 20th recording century, tradition,typographic which originateddesign tradition, in Europe, which is originated not historically in whenthe linguistsstories, begansongs recording and everydaythe sto- 20 germaneEurope, to isthe not culture historically of N germaneative American to the culture peoples. of ries,speech songs of elderlyand everyday native speechspeakers. of elderly (This BothNative the small American stroke peoples. terminals Both that the we small call stroke serifs terand- nativemovement speakers. came (This too movement late for came many too the minalsrelative that position we call of serifs thick and and the thin relative strokes position on theof lateindigenous for many languages, indigenous languages,after a century after lettersthick themselves and thin strokes are beholden on the letters to the themselves broad-nib arepen, aof century public of policy public policyattempted attempted to stamp to the beholdenpredominant to the tool broad-nib of scribes pen, inthe the predominant 15th century stampthem themout.) out.)Today Today most most of ofthe the extant extant whentool the of technology scribes in the of 15th printing century from when cast the metal technol type- indigenousindigenous languages languages in thein theU.S. Uare.S. writ are- literallyogy solidifiedof printing the from appearance cast metal type of the literally prototypical solidified tenwritten in the in Latin the alphabetLatin alphabet amplified amplified by dia- romanthe typefaceappearance we of are the prototypicalaccustomed roman to reading. typeface Its criticalby diacritical accents andaccents phonetic and characters, phonetic a appearancewe are accustomed has changed to reading.very little Its over appearance the centuries has systemcharacters, of writing a system devised of bywriting linguists. devised sincechanged then. very little over the centuries since then. Unlikeby linguists. the typography Unlike the of typography the traditional of the www.glimpsejournal.com Latintraditional alphabet, Latin these alphabet, scripts dothese not formscripts a Today,Today, design design innovations innovations in typefacestypefaces made made for for harmoniousdo not form interwoven a harmonious texture interwovenon the page. readingreading are arenecessarily necessarily subtle subtle and and difficult difficult to perceiveto per- Thetexture idea thaton indigenousthe page. fontsThe should idea bethat withoutceive a without trained a eyetrained because eye because too much too muchinnovation inno- aestheticindigenous as wellfonts as shouldfunctional, be thataesthetic they as GLIMPSE divertsvation the diverts reader’s the attention reader’s attentionfrom the from content the of the shouldwell as look functional, as balanced that as they Latin should text on look the text contentto its ofappearance. the text to itsThis appearance. reigning Thisconservatism reigning page,as balanced has not yetas Latintaken roottext amongon the linguists page, was conservatismabetted by the was large abetted capital by the investment large capital required andhas educators,not yet taken concentrated root among as they linguists are of printersinvestment while required typesetting of printers remained while typesetting within their onand capturing educators, and concentratedanalyzing the speechas they of are exclusiveremained purview. within But their so exclusivelong as principles purview. Butof legibility so long elderson capturing while it’s andstill possible,analyzing and the on findingspeech are asobserved, principles orthodoxy of legibility in are typeface observed, design orthodoxy is less in effectiveof elders ways while to teachit’s still fluency possible, to second- and on relevanttypeface in cases design where is less literacyrelevant inhas cases been where imposed liter- languagefinding effective learners. waysTypographic to teach aesthetics fluency to so recentlyacy has beenupon imposedan oral tradition,so recently as upon is the an case oral trawith- aresecond-language just not on their radar.learners. As a result,Typographic the mostdition, American as is the indigenous case with languages.most American Although indigenous the appearanceaesthetics areof most just devisednot on writingtheir radar. systems As more recent designs of text typefaces without serifs a result, the appearance of most devised Typefaces Indigenous in Innovation Aesthetic Designing a Lushootseed font Lushootseed a Designing issue 7 Text 21 (This page) Lushootseed wood type created by the Hamilton Museum of Wood Type & Printing, Two Rivers, Wisconsin. The press was used at the 2010 Tulalip Lushootseed Language Camp in Washington. Image courtesy of The Tulalip Tribes of Washington. writing systems for indigenous languages is more likely to intimidate youthful learners than invite them to decode the mysteries of writingforthe indigenous systemsscript. for languages indigenous is more languages likely to is intimidate moreyouthful likelywriting learnersto intimidate systems than invite foryouthful indigenous them learnersto decode languages the is thanmysteriesTypographic invitemore them of likelythe to needs script.decode to intimidate the mysteries youthful of learners the script.of indigenousthan invite languagethem to decode fonts the mysteries of Typographicthe script. needs Currently, the need for typefaces with Typographicof indigenous needs language fonts indigenous language characters is sometimes of indigenous language fonts met throughTypographic the illegal needs but still common Currently, the need for typefaces with indigenous practiceof indigenousof opening “free” language fonts andfonts editing Currently,language the characters need isfor sometimes typefaces met with through the them to add the missing characters. Most indigenousillegal Currently,but language still common charactersthe needpractice is forsometimes of openingtypefaces “free” with of the so-called “free” fonts are bundled met fontsthrough andindigenous editingthe illegal themlanguage butto add charactersstill the common missing is sometimes charac- practicewith ofoperating opening systems“free” fonts and andoffice editing software (Figure 2) UNESCO Interactive Atlas of the World’s Languages ters. Mostmet ofthrough the so-called the illegal “free” butfonts still are bundledcommon(http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=00206). Image programs and have licensing agreements themwith to operatingaddpractice the ofsystemsmissing opening andcharacters. “free” office fontssoftware Most and proediting- courtesy of the author. that prohibit editing and redistribution. A of thegrams so-calledthem and have to “free” add licensing the fonts missingagreements are bundledcharacters. that prohibit Most better way to obtain typefaces for indigenous(Figure O n2) theUNESC TulalipO Interactive reservation, Atlas of athe 20,000-acre World’s Languages area on the withediting operatingof and the redistribution.systems so-called and “free” officeA better fontssoftware way are to obtainbundled language characters is to use fonts with(http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=00206). Salish(Figure Sea about 2) UN 40ESC milesO Interactive north ofAtlas Seattle, of the World’sLushootseed Image Languages programstypefaceswith and for operating have indigenous licensing systems language agreements and characters office softwarecourtesy is to of the author. extensive character sets that seek to meet instructionhttp://www.unesco.org/culture/languages-atlas/index.php.(http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=00206).