Convocation ceremonies at Laurentian now include an eagle staff
14 minutes ago
Duration 1:06
Social Sharing
At the most recent convocation ceremony at Laurentian University in Sudbury, a dignitary held an eagle staff and led a procession of professors and new graduates through the auditorium.
The staff, made of willow branch, is adorned with a deer antler, an eagle feather and medallions that represent the seven grandfather teachings.
"Initially, eagle staffs were actually used as territorial demarcations," said Dominic Beaudry, Laurentian's associate vice-president of academic and Indigenous programs.
Indigenous communities would plant eagle staffs at the edge of their territories to let outsiders know when they were entering.
Today, they've taken on a more ceremonial role.
"For a lack of a better word, in the modern context, it's our, kind of like a sacred flag for our region," Beaudry said.
Many universities in Canada have their own eagle staff for special occasions, and Laurentian is the latest to join that group.
Mary Laur, the director of Laurentian's Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre, said members of Laurentian's Indigenous community consulted closely with chief and council from the nearby First Nation of Atikameksheng Anishnawbek to create the staff.
"Because the staff is from this territory, we work with Atikameksheng, we are in connection with Atikameksheng regarding the staff," she said.
Atikameksheng elder Lorney Bob and community member John Condo crafted the eagle staff, using traditional materials such as diamond willow, copper, and grandfather stones.
Hailey Sutherland, a recent Laurentian graduate who now works as an administrative assistant at the Indigenous Sharing and Learning Centre, performed the Turtle Song at that first convocation during which the staff was unveiled.
"In the Turtle Song, the eagle is flying over Turtle Island searching for the Anishinaabe," Sutherland said.
"And that eagle goes back to the creator to let the creator know that the Anishinaabek are doing well, they're healing."
Sutherland said the song was representative of the feelings that many Indigenous students, staff and faculty at Laurentian experience when seeing their culture represented in a convocation ceremony.
"I can only imagine how they felt when they saw the eagle staff going down the stairs and making its way to the stage," she said, talking about the new graduates that day.
Beaudry said the staff is representative of the steps Laurentian has taken toward truth and reconciliation.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Calgary Herald
18 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
'Reconciliation in action': City launches $30-million Indigenous housing program
The City of Calgary launched a new Indigenous-led housing program Tuesday, which officials and a local Blackfoot Elder said will support the development of up to 350 'culturally sensitive' housing units for Calgary's Indigenous community. Article content The $30-million program, whose Blackfoot name is Maa'too'maa'taapii Aoko'iyii'piaya, was borne from collaboration with the city's Housing Solutions Elders Advisory Committee. The name translates to 'Indigenous First Nation housing.' Article content Article content Article content Elder Jackie Bromley, a cultural leader, teacher and residential school survivor from the Kainai Nation, said that for generations, Indigenous Peoples were denied access to affordable, safe and culturally sensitive housing. Article content Article content 'Today, we witness something that our people have long spoken about and prayed for,' she said at a ceremony held at city hall. 'Maa'too'maa'taapii Aoko'iyii'piaya is more than a program; it's a promise, a recognition that Indigenous nations and communities hold the knowledge, vision and strength to build homes that honour who we are.' Article content The program marks the first time the city has created a housing initiative specific to Indigenous Peoples and was one of the recommendations of the housing strategy that city council approved in 2023. Article content A city news release states it will address housing inequities in Calgary by supporting Indigenous-led housing models that promote healing, cultural connection and long-term sustainability. Article content Article content 'Too often, decisions were made for us, not with us,' Bromley said. 'This program changes that story. Indigenous people will lead this work with the city to house our Indigenous people. That is reconciliation in action.' Article content At Tuesday's ceremony, officials cited the statistic that Indigenous people make up just three per cent of Calgary's overall population, but account for roughly 40 per cent of the city's unhoused population.
Cision Canada
a day ago
- Cision Canada
Forests Canada and Cariboo Carbon to plant 2.3 million trees in areas devastated by wildfires
From seed to survival to sustainability, Forests Canada has proudly built the infrastructure and network needed to conserve, restore, and grow Canada's forests to sustain life and communities today and for generations to come. Cariboo Carbon Solutions ' mission is to help mitigate the impacts of climate change, support local communities, and conserve biodiversity through the restoration of degraded ecosystems. BARRIE, ON, Aug. 19, 2025 /CNW/ - As Canada faces another year of rampant wildfires, non-profit charity Forests Canada and forestry consulting firm Cariboo Carbon Solutions are partnering to help private landowners and First Nations communities restore their forests. The two organizations supported the planting of 100,000 trees in North Shuswap and Criss Creek, British Columbia this spring in response to the 2023 Bush Creek East wildfire and will plant 2.2 million more in other areas of the province over the next five years. "Canada is currently facing a devastating wildfire crisis, with active fires burning from coast to coast to coast. A warming climate, drought, past fire-suppression practices, and the impacts of insect outbreaks have contributed to the increase of dry fuel in the landscape, creating the perfect storm of destructive fires," Elizabeth Jarrett, Chief Operating Officer, Forests Canada, says. "While fires are a natural part of our forested landscapes, the intensity and severity of them is starting to impact how quickly a forest can naturally recover. This new partnership will enable us to support restoration efforts where nature needs a helping hand." In regions across British Columbia, Cariboo Carbon Solutions is providing private landowners and First Nations communities that have been devastated by wildfires with professional reforestation services for their properties. After the successful planting of 100,000 trees in North Shuswap and Criss Creek this spring, the organization is now looking to help restore forests in other communities in British Columbia, including 100 Mile House, Kamloops, West Kelowna, and Princeton. "We feel this partnership with Forests Canada gives landowners hope and an ability to restore their land that they didn't have before," says Andrew Steeves, Registered Forest Technologist and Operations Manager with Cariboo Carbon Solutions. "Our vision is to play a part in a sustainable future by developing projects like this that enhance the health and functionality of British Columbia's ecosystems and help reinstate ecological balance and support native biodiversity." Forests Canada believes that everyone has a role to play in wildfire management and resilience, from homeowners and researchers to Indigenous leaders and government agencies. For landowners in the North Shuswap, 100 Mile House, Kamloops, West Kelowna, and Princeton areas of British Columbia who want to learn more about the support available for forest recovery on their properties, please visit Forests Canada is a non-profit charity working to conserve, restore, and grow Canada's forests to sustain life and communities. With interactive education programs inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards, and high-quality forest recovery efforts supporting local jobs and economies, we have proudly built the infrastructure and network needed to help ensure the greatest possible outcomes for Canada's forests from coast to coast to coast.
National Observer
a day ago
- National Observer
One in seven First Nations impacted as Canada battles raging wildfires
As wildfires scorch Canada amid its second-worst wildfire season on record, Indigenous leaders and experts say the country's approach remains reactive — leaving Indigenous communities disproportionately vulnerable. At a Monday press conference, federal officials reported that 707 wildfires are currently active nationwide. The extreme fire activity has strained firefighting resources, prompting Canada to deploy over 560 international firefighters from six countries alongside Canadian personnel. This situation is particularly dire for Indigenous communities. Jen Baron, a postdoctoral researcher and incoming assistant professor at the University of British Columbia's Centre for Wildfire Coexistence, said this year's fires are occurring in regions such as Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the Maritimes, where such large-scale activity has been less common historically. Many First Nations communities are 'overexposed and underserved.' Remote, fly-in communities with minimal access routes face significant risks in evacuation and recovery. The infrastructure gaps make an already dangerous situation much worse, Baron said. Since April 1, 165 emergency events have affected 134 First Nations, resulting in 88 evacuations. Currently, 25 Indigenous communities continue to battle wildfires, with 12,000 members still displaced, primarily in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Atlantic Canada, said Mandy Gull-Masty, Minister of Indigenous Services Canada at the press conference. One in seven First Nations in Canada have been evacuated this season, said Niigaan Sinclair, an Indigenous scholar and commentator. 'That's hotels, emergency services, Red Cross — people are being moved out of their homes on an unprecedented scale,' he said. 'Many evacuees face substandard food and lack crucial wraparound services when placed in hotels. You can't just dump people into unfamiliar urban settings without support, especially when there is a long history of trauma, poverty and health challenges.' 'We need resources ready before emergencies happen,' said Niigaan Sinclair, an Indigenous scholar and commentator. Kyra Wilson, grand chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, at a press conference on Aug. 8 said the insufficient support for evacuees, including shortages of food and inadequate shelter, is unacceptable, citing long delays from agencies like the Red Cross. 'I know of situations where families are put in hotels and they've been living on microwavable Kraft dinners because they don't have a kitchen and there's no restaurant in the hotel,' she said. Gull-Masty said the government is funding over 300 emergency management roles within First Nations, tribal councils and Indigenous organizations nationwide. 'This investment in local leadership and preparedness is the key to stronger, safer communities,' Gull-Masty said. Sinclair said the wildfire response continues to focus on firefighting and evacuations after disasters strike, rather than investing early in community capacity and infrastructure. 'We need resources ready before emergencies happen,' he said. Wilson agreed, pointing to the lack of local firefighters and support for them. 'We have people in communities that can fight these fires, and they're not allowed to. Why do we not have people in our communities that are trained to fight the fires? Why do we have to expect anybody outside our communities to come and save us? We can save ourselves,' she said. Some federal investments have targeted these gaps. This week, officials announced a $540,000 commitment to two wildfire training programs: $335,000 for the Yorkton Tribal Council in Saskatchewan to support the training of 35 new volunteer firefighters, and just over $200,000 for the Rural Municipality of Piney in Manitoba to train up to 60 individuals. These efforts are part of a larger $28 million effort aiming to train more than 1,000 wildland firefighters by 2028, with a focus on rural and Indigenous communities.
