The Story Behind the Ni Hat'ni Dene Logo

The Casaway family: Kaya, Modeste, Maryrose, Dez, and Marcy.

The logo for the Ni Hat'ni Dene, the Indigenous guardians of Thaidene Nëné, was designed by Łutsël K’é Dene First Nation member, Kaya Casaway. Kaya is the daughter of Maryrose and Modeste Casaway.

Growing up in Łutsël K’é, Kaya spent a lot of time on the land with her parents, her sister Marcy, and her brother Dez. She has particularly fond memories of spending time on Tu Nedhé  (Great Slave Lake): “I love the summer because everyone is out on the lake having a good time. We usually go fishing or swimming and have a picnic on the shore. Those are some of my favorite things.”

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Now based in Columbus, Ohio, Kaya is a skilled designer and illustrator. Nevertheless, she was nervous about “making something that would be seen and used by so many people.” Thankfully, Kaya was surrounded by a supportive community as she worked on the logo. The final design reflects the input of many different people in Łutsël K’é and beyond. Kaya explains, “I asked for ideas and feedback from family, cousins, aunts, my mom, my friends, my partner.”
 
The Thaidene Nëné logo grew out of Kaya’s love and longing for the land. “I miss it everyday,” she admits. In Kaya’s words, the logo is meant to capture “the love that we have as Łutsël K’é Dene for our land, culture, and people.” 

“THE LOGO REPRESENTS the love that we have as Łutsël K’é Dene for our land, culture, and people.” 

The logo is more than a symbol of Thaidene Nëné. It also represents an important moment in Kaya’s evolution as an artist: “Everyone that helped and supported me to make this design pushed me forward, helped me figure out that I could actually do more things like this.”
 
Kaya misses her home in the Land of the Ancestors and always looks forward to visiting and spending time with family and friends. She hopes others do the same: “If you ever get a chance to visit Łutsël K’é and Thaidene Nëné, please do. It’s an awesome place.”
 
Marsı cho, Kaya, for sharing your creativity with Łutsël K’é and the world!

Kaya wearing her logo design.