Endangered Alphabets Obelisk


11'x12 x12"
 — Ash Wood & Steel


The Endangered Alphabets Obelisk incorporates characters and scripts from endangered writing systems around the world, carved into the four sides of a 10-foot obelisk made from Vermont ash wood—an endangered tree species central to Abenaki creation stories.

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The work reflects on language loss caused by migration, conflict, and cultural erasure, while honoring the histories and identities embedded
in written language.

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Featured scripts include Nüshu, Tifinagh, Samaritan, and Cherokee,
each carrying stories of resilience, adaptation, and cultural survival.

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Inspired by Tim Brookes and the Endangered Alphabets Project, the sculpture references the U.N. Universal Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and includes Article 1 of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”

References:
Brattleboro Museum flickr.com/photos
Story of the Endangered Alphabets Obelisk
Endangered Alphabets Project
Omniglot Writing Systems Encyclopedia