Archive · 29 Jun 2025
Tribal Designer on Erasure and Loss of Authorship
Imagine you're a talented artist from a community called tribal people, creating cool ideas to share your culture with the world.
But when other people learn about your work, your name isn't there.
It's like someone taking credit for your drawings.
This designer shares how this has happened to them: their work is used globally, but their name is removed.
It's a slow process, like a secret, where names are changed and ideas get detached from the person who made them.
The author wants people to remember that the tribal people also have brilliant minds and deserve to be recognized for their creative work.
A tribal designer reflects on the erasure of his authorship in cultural frameworks.
The designer's work, meant to shape global conversations, is used without credit.
His name was removed from the materials taught to students.
The erasure is a slow, institutionalized process involving renaming and omission.
The author emphasizes the importance of recognition and presence for tribal creators.
- Who
- Sudhir John Horo, a tribal designer.
- What
- An Indigenous designer reflects on the erasure of his authorship in his field.
- When
- Over 20 years of working in design, nation branding, public and cultural diplomacy.
- Where
- The author is from the Munda People.
- Why
- To highlight the importance of recognition and the systematic erasure of tribal creators.
Tribal Perspective
Mainstream Perspective
Definition of Authorship
Tribal Perspective
Authorship is about presence and recognition in creation.
Mainstream Perspective
Authorship is a byline.
- Author
- Sudhir John Horo
- Occupation
- Tribal Designer
- Focus
- Authorship, Identity, and Erasure
- Main Theme
- Cultural Frameworks and Design
- Community
- Munda People