Type and Nation, 4

After 50 years of the US Government’s forced assimilation policy, the native Lushootseed language was near extinction. Without a written tradition, by the 1960’s the history of the culture had all but vanished. Only five tribal elders were known to be fluent in the language. A preservation effort was mounted to record stories and create a phonetic alphabet. In December 2008, the Tulalip Tribes Lushootseed Department commissioned Juliet Shen to design a complete font solely for Lushootseed. Their mission is to restore Lushootseed to everyday use. Read more.