Media Releases

Monday, May 13, 2019 (Halifax, NS) – Media are invited to see the newly unveiled ceremonial New Dawn Staff of Place and Belonging that has replaced its ceremonial convocation mace used since 1950.

Dalhousie is one of the first universities in North America to replace its traditional mace used in convocation ceremonies with a new ceremonial object. The New Dawn Staff, designed with guidance from the university and in collaboration with a team of artists and craftspeople from diverse communities across Nova Scotia, is used to signal the beginning and end of each convocation ceremony.

More information: Marking the journey: Introducing the New Dawn Staff of Place and Belonging  

Tomorrow, see and photograph the newly unveiled New Dawn Staff, and meet the artists who contributed to its design. The Staff was designed and crafted for Dal by artists Alan Syliboy of Millbrook First Nation, Mark Austin of Colchester County, Wendie Poitras, Annie Martin, Mohammed Issa, Jessie Marshall, Mark Hamilton, Matt D'Entremont, Fred Marshall, Lily Volio, Debby Finkbeiner, and Arjun Lal, who all had a hand in bringing the Staff to life.

Descendants of early European and international settlers, Acadians, peoples of African descent, persons with disabilities, all genders and the LGBTQ2S+ communities are all acknowledged with Staff elements in an effort to convey inclusion, diversity, and equity.

The New Dawn Staff is a walking stick, symbolizing the idea of a journey and a beacon for community. With the New Dawn Staff of Place and Belonging, Dalhousie journeys proudly into its third century informed by the past and inspired for the future.

Event details:

• Tuesday, May 14, 2019 from 1:30-3PM
• Indigenous Student Centre/Black Student Advising Centre | 1325 Edward St., Halifax NS
• Interview opportunities with three of the artists behind the Staff’s design
  • Alan Syliboy 
  • Wendie Poitras  
  • Mark Austin
• Fact sheets and artist bios [PDF] will also be available

Media are asked to please RSVP:

Sarah Dawson 

Senior Communications Advisor 

Communications and Marketing
Dalhousie University
sarah.dawson@dal.ca
902-266-7449