This perspective comes from guest contributor Huitzilli Oronia, a Chicana designer based in Denver, Colorado. As a designer at the award-winning creative production agency Hook, Oronia focuses on helping people and communities tell powerful stories that challenge conventions.
My heritage is a rich, vibrant tapestry woven from the traditions of the Pueblo people of the Southwest and the Nahua/Mexica of Mexico. It’s an identity steeped in pride and longing, a strong fabric of interconnection and reciprocity that also bears the scars of displacement and detribalization.
As an adult, I’ve embarked on a journey to reconnect to these roots, unearthing the treasures buried within my heritage. I’ve found solace and renewal in embracing community, the sacredness of ceremony, the rhythm of language, the pages of literature, and the passion for activism.
That’s why I felt instantly inspired and excited when I was invited to participate in a project designed to amplify Indigenous-owned businesses on Google Maps and Google Search. This wasn’t just another campaign; it represented an opportunity to help Indigenous business owners share their heritage and foster deeper connections between the businesses and their consumers. I had the honor of crafting Google’s Indigenous-owned attribute icon and associated launch materials, and little did I know then that the experience would ultimately inspire a personal project dedicated to commemorating Indigenous Peoples’ Day. It immediately felt empowering, allowing me to delve into the complexities of my cultural background and fully embrace my identity as an Indigenous designer.
As creatives and strategists, we can create something far beyond design when we work with a respect-first mindset and a genuine desire to listen and learn.
Together with Kevin Coochwytewa, a talented Seattle-based designer of Isleta Pueblo and Hopi heritage, we collaboratively explored the depths of Indigenous motifs across Turtle Island—from East Coast wampum belts to West Coast basketry and everything in between. The final product draws inspiration from the medicine wheel, whose four-quadrant design embodies balance and the interconnected cycle of life, with nuances paying homage to the diverse traditions of different Indigenous groups. The circular motif symbolizes the intricate web that binds all living things and, in this context, highlights the vital connections between Indigenous businesses and their communities.
Throughout the process, I was reminded of design anthropologist Dori Tunstall’s poignant words in this interview at the Jacobs Institute: “We’re accountable to those outside of ourselves in how we derive inspiration from the cultures of others but also our own. We don’t have permission sometimes to just mine, extract from our own cultural practices and backgrounds either. There’s an ethical dialogue that needs to happen with that.”
In creating this icon, we kept others in mind. Our work was not about appropriating or borrowing for aesthetic ends; it was about understanding the core essence of symbols, seeking permission, and engaging in genuine dialogue with community members to bring it to life. We actively listened to the concerns of local equity and Google Aboriginal & Indigenous Network leadership, valuing and incorporating their feedback with respect and empathy—a testament to the importance of intentional representation in shaping inclusive campaigns.
As creatives and strategists, we can create something far beyond design when we work with a respect-first mindset and a genuine desire to listen and learn. We build bridges of understanding, pave the way for healing, and, ultimately, weave a future where authentic representation and decolonization are not mere metaphors or ideas.
Images provided by author.