Design is the second time Red Pheasant artist has worked with University of Saskatchewan
Daily Herald Staff
The University of Saskatchewan looked to an alumnus for a new Orange Shirt design recognizing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Chris Chipak graduated from the USask education program in 2015. A member of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation, Chipak was asked to create a design that speaks to the themes of family, protection, and cultural continuity.
Chipak accepted the challenge, and said he wanted to create a unique design that challenged him artistically.
“I wanted this design to be different and more deeply rooted in our community,” he said in an interview posed to the University of Saskatchewan website. “I also wanted to focus on being authentic and stay away from trends.”
The result is a design that incorporated the Husky mascot that’s familiar to University of Saskatchewan graduates, but as a pup instead of a full-grown dog.
Chipak said the image focuses on these of growth and nurturing, with elements that reflect Indigenous teaching surrounding the pup.
“The family ties and the connection of all living things are visually represented, all surrounded by the sun,” he said. “It allows viewers to see that we are all connected.”
This isn’t the first time Chipak has been invited to create Indigenous logos or designs. A year ago, Chipak was asked to create an Indigenous themed Saskatchewan Roughriders logo. Although the design wasn’t specifically for the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, those themes were still readily apparent.
“Truth and Reconciliation, to me, are two powerful words,” Chipak wrote in a message posted to the Roughriders’ website. “I don’t know if we’ll ever, in our time, be able to say: ‘Oh, I know what it means, I know what it feels like, I know what it looks like.’ With this logo, I hope it creates openness for people to talk about it—to even attempt to have an open conversation about what reconciliation means to them.”
Chipak was first approached by the University of Saskatchewan in 2023. They asked him to create a logo for the university based off of a sketch he posted. The project was originally intended to support the Indigenous Athlete Council, but as he worked on the design, words started to spread that plans for a new Indigenous logo were underway.
Chris Chipak’s 2025 Orange Shirt Day design, commissioned by the USask Indigenous Space & Visual Symbols in the Health Sciences Committee, symbolizes family, resilience, and connection.
“This buzz eventually made its way to some important meetings within the University,” Chipak wrote on his website.
“A representative who attended the meetings later shared with me that the University, established in 1907, has only trademarked three logos throughout its history due to the lengthy process involved. I was truly honored to have my artwork placed on that prestigious list.”
Chipak said he hopes University of Saskatchewan students and alumni will find a personal connection to his design. He said creating it has bene a meaningful step in his personal and professional journey.
“I take every project as an opportunity to grow — for myself and the community involved,” he said. “I am very fortunate to have worked with the organizations I have, and from that, I have gained extended family.”
