News

Lluiknek Pi'kunk Assokma'timk

A powerful symbol for Indigenous Peoples- the eagle feather - was added to campus this past fall in the form of a Seven Feathers crosswalk adjacent to Cumming Hall and Sipu Awti.

The installation of the Seven Feathers crosswalk marks another important step Dalhousie University is taking towards reconciliation while acknowledging the legacy of residential schools in Canada.

“Diversity is our strength,” said Acting Dean Dr. Gefu Wang-Pruski.  “This beautiful crosswalk helps to acknowledge that strength and that our Agricultural Campus sits on the ancestral unceded territory of the Mi’kmaw people.”

The crosswalk features seven eagle feathers representing the seven sacred teachings embraced by many Indigenous communities and organizations as guiding principles. The eagle feather is a powerful symbol signifying honor and a connection between the owner, the Creator, and the eagle from which the feather came.

“It is meaningful to have these teachings instilled in this crosswalk as a way of sharing and encouraging diversity for everyone to see in their daily routine on campus,” said Chief Robert Gloade, Millbrook First Nation.  “It is also very important for our Indigenous population to see these installations where they go to school, work, and walk every day.”

The seven feathers represented in the crosswalk symbolize the seven sacred teachings of Love, Respect, Courage, Honesty, Humility, Truth, and Wisdom and the installation of this crosswalk, the second in the province, helps to encourage and provide a welcoming community for all learners.

The crosswalk was dedicated at a ceremony on campus as part of National Indigenous History month last Friday. A new course on Mi'kmaw Natural Resources will also be offered this winter as part of ongoing efforts to indigenize curriculum on campus.

(L to R) President Kim Brooks, Indigenous graduate student Staci Morgan,Don Julien, Chief Robert Gloade, Millbrook First Nation, Elder Tom Christmas, Acting Dean Gefu Wang-Pruski and Keah Gloade, Manager Indigenous Students.