The Meaning Behind the Culturally Committed Logo
- Kim Trottier
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 16 hours ago
A teaching from Stuart Pagaduan, Coast Salish artist
Stuart Pagaduan opens with a greeting in his language: 'Uy' skweyul. Good day.
He is a Coast Salish artist, and at the Longhouse Experiential Workshop, he sat with us to share something we have never explained publicly in quite this way: the teaching behind the Culturally Committed logo.
Most of us see the logo every day. The heart. The figure at the centre. The birds surrounding it. But Stuart's explanation of what each element carries changed the way we see it, and we wanted to share that teaching with you.
The Human in the Heart
At the centre of the logo is a human figure, arms raised, hands held up high.
Stuart explained what that gesture means in Coast Salish territory. When you enter a longhouse, a community gathering, or any event in their territory, the people there greet you with that gesture: hands raised, in gratitude for your presence.
Huy tseep q'u.
"Our people are ever so humble and thankful for your presence, and we put up our hands in gratitude."
It is a greeting, but it is also a practice. A way of acknowledging that someone chose to come, that their arrival is something to be grateful for.
When you see that figure at the centre of our logo, that is what it is doing. Welcoming you. Giving thanks for you being here.
The Eagles
Around the human figure are four eagles.
Stuart shared the teaching behind them: "It is said that the richness that we have is the people that are around us."
The eagles are not decoration. They represent the community that surrounds the individual. The teachings passed down by elders. The people who have come before and laid down knowledge for those who follow.
"The richness that we have is our teachings, and we hold them up high and we give thanks for them."
Four eagles, held high. The people around you, and the teachings they carry, are the greatest gift available to anyone doing this work.
Why We Chose This Logo
We chose a logo rooted in Indigenous visual language because this organization was grounded in a foundation of Indigenous knowledge, leadership, and reciprocity. Every element in it was chosen with intention, and Stuart's teaching is a reminder of what that intention means in practice.
The figure with arms raised is not a symbol of completion or achievement. It is a gesture of gratitude and welcome, extended to everyone who steps into this circle regardless of where they are in their learning.
The eagles represent something we come back to often at Culturally Committed: you do not do this work alone. The richness is in who is around you, and in the teachings you have access to when you choose to show up.
Join the Circle
If you are new to Culturally Committed and this is your first time here, the human in our logo is raising hands for you too. There is a place in this circle for wherever you are in this work.
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