As Major League Soccer’s Vancouver Whitecaps once again celebrate Indigenous History Month, they’ll have a new look.
After two years using their previous Indigenous History Month logo, the Whitecaps unveiled a new edition of the logo in time for their Indigenous Peoples Celebration match against St. Louis City FC on Saturday, June 29.
The logo was designed by Austin Aan’yas Harry, a digital artist and a dedicated member of the Squamish Nation, with ancestral ties to the Namgis Nation.
“The logo symbolizes the duality depicted in the Vancouver Whitecaps FC logo,” the club’s announcement reads. “The dark blue serpent head represents the mountains, while the light blue serpent head signifies the ocean waves. In the legend, the sea serpent’s journey begins in the ocean and ascends to the top of Stawamus Chief connecting sea and sky.
“Supernatural creatures like Sínulkhay and the Thunderbird are depicted with a crest on their head. This crest distinguishes them from their natural counterparts, like the snake and the eagle. In the emblem, the crest extends beyond the white frame enclosing the logo, symbolizing its connection to realms beyond our natural world.”
Saturday’s Indigenous Peoples Celebration match will feature Indigenous performers prior to kickoff and during halftime. Many of the performers are part of Land Back Records, which aims to create visibility and build capacity for Indigenous artists by providing access to production studios, creative direction, artist services, deliver marketing campaigns, produce Indigenous-focused events and more.
The Whitecaps will also host an Indigenous Artists Market and a pre-match Soccer Jamboree for Indigenous youth.
Earlier this month, the Whitecaps opened two new mini-pitches in Indigenous communities in British Columbia, bringing the total number of mini-pitches they’ve opened to eight. They also participated in youth soccer tournaments and other learning opportunities throughout June.