Legends of the Kituwah people say that the name, Kituwah, was given after seven of the wisest men of the ancient Cherokees went to the highest peak and fasted for seven days and nights, asking the Creator for guidance. On the seventh night of their fast, the Creator told them, “You shall be Kituwah.”
– Benny Smith, The Keetoowah Society of Cherokee Indians, Masters Dissertation, Northwestern State College, Alva, OK, 1967
The Brief
The Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians is a sovereign nation located within the borders of the United States in the state of North Carolina. This tribe currently runs a very successful casino operation along with many other businesses. In 2018, the tribe decided to create a formal economic development organization to add to the tribe’s revenue streams.
Plaid Swan was contacted to assist in this effort. Our first step was to create the branding for the organization.
Our Solution
Plaid Swan spent several weeks researching the tribe by speaking to the CEO of the new organization, and other people in the tribe, including the tribal museum. We came to realize that this highly skilled people has very strong traditions in both basket weaving and beadwork.
The Result
A logo was developed with took the legendary name of Kituwah and created a basket from the letter “U”. The beadwork present on the basket is both a nod to the tribe’s amazing artwork and represents new businesses that will come to life. We are excited to now be the marketing partner for this tribe’s economic efforts.
