Northern Campus Honours Sacred Tradition with Commissioning of Eagle Staff

The First Nations University of Canada’s Northern Campus proudly honours the commissioning of a sacred Eagle Staff — a powerful symbol of unity, healing, and cultural continuity for Indigenous Peoples.

With deep reverence, this Eagle Staff marks an important milestone for the campus, its students, faculty, and surrounding communities. More than a visual emblem, the Eagle Staff embodies kisiko-sketamowin — sacred knowledge from the heavens. Rooted in the cosmos and guided by the stars in the northwest direction, the staff serves as a connection between the earthly and spiritual worlds, awakening sacred teachings and reinforcing the ways of life gifted to us by Creation. When non-Indigenous people first saw First Nations people carrying the eagle staff, they thought it signified battle. Little did they know it actually signified harmony, unity, and the beauty all around them. The eagle staff, bringing peace and understanding to all people of the four directions.

Eagle Staffs are carried during grand entries, gatherings, and significant ceremonies, often accompanied by powerful songs known as national anthems. These songs are sung with deep pride, honouring both the staff and the individuals who carry it. The teachings held within the Eagle Staff are passed down through generations, woven into the knowledge of ceremonial lodges, which are themselves represented by the staff’s sacred presence.

The staff stands not only as a cultural artefact, but as a living representation of Indigenous worldview seen as carrying the voices of ancestors, honouring the sacred beings, and fostering relationships with all nations of the four directions.

FNUniv’s Northern Campus celebrates this honour with open hearts, grateful to walk alongside this powerful spiritual presence. The commissioning of the Eagle Staff reminds us all of the sacred path we walk together, in respect, in unity, and in the spirit of the ancestors.