The Howells had not had a family reunion in some time and were planning to finally have a get together again in 2015. To celebrate, Jacquelyn McMillon, my aunt, asked me to create a family reunion graphic in commemoration of the event. I decided to take it one step further, researching family crests and coat of arms and coming up with my own version of a coat of arms for the family since one did not exist. 

Since the majority of the family has connections to the Geechee of Georgia, I chose the crab as an animal totem to be represented in the graphic. The crab is a creature that would have been naturally found where the Howells’ family heritage is most strongly associated with, also it’s a creature that many Howells of today would see and could associate the thoughts of this family reunion to, thanks to this graphic. 

The crab is a powerful animal totem, because it never takes a straight path toward its goal, rather it must always side-step to reach what it desires. This motion is a great reminder that there are more paths to the goals we desire than the one we see. 

In the graphic I used a shield for protection, just as the crab uses its hard shell, and in the shield I embedded a pearl for wisdom. Just behind the pearl is Polaris, the North Star, a symbol of navigation and guidance. The crab grips the shield as a display of power and a reminder to those that bear the crest that they should venture forth on their journey with the readiness of a warrior.