Huskies unveil Indigenous logo design to be used this weekend

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies will have a new look this weekend.

Huskie Athletics unveiled a new temporary logo on Wednesday. The logo – which was designed by an Indigenous artist from Saskatchewan and incorporates many symbolic elements – will be worn by all student athletes, coaches and support staff this weekend, coinciding with Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (also known as Orange Shirt Day) on Saturday.

According to the university, the idea got started when Chris Chipak, an artist who was raised on the Red Pheasant Cree Nation, posted his logo design on social media. The design resonated with a number of student-athletes, and the school partnered with the artist “to raise awareness and acknowledge the truth behind the Canadian residential school system on Orange Shirt Day.”

Through consultations with Indigenous student-athletes, Chipak – who uses the artist name inchipakwetrust – added new elements to his design, which the school said signify connection, representation and recognition of residential school survivors.

The design includes many Indigenous elements such as an inukshuk representing the Inuit people, six dots representing the Treaty 6 land where the university is located, a feather, and four circles representing the Indigenous medicine wheel.

“This project is important to me as an artist and as a proud alumnus to the University of Saskatchewan,” Chipak said in a statement.

“I wanted to create a visual that would represent community and connecting us to one another. An image that makes us proud of who we are, where we come from and where we are going!”

Indigenous Huskie athletes have not always felt connected at the university, according to Brett Lachance, a U of S track and field athlete.

“My relatives did not have the opportunity to see a connection with themselves and institutions they attended,” Lachance said in a statement.

“Images such as this new Huskie logo allow me to not only see my cultural and student-athlete lives intertwine, but the logo is also positive change in response to all of the stories.”

Reconciliation and adopting the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 calls to action are important to the Huskies. The 2022-23 season saw the creation of the Huskie Athletics Indigenous Student-Athlete Group, and the school said the group’s goal is to create “actionable reconciliation” for student athletes, coaches and administration.

“Their voices have brought Indigenous language and song into Huskie Athletics, through the playing of the Métis anthem and the singing of the national anthem in Cree and English at events,” the university said in a statement.

“The council has amplified the voices of our Indigenous student-athletes, creating spaces and educational opportunities within Huskie Athletics and amongst their peers.”

The new logo contains a lot of hidden Indigenous symbolism. (Huskie Athletics/Submitted)