An Indigenous eagle feather has been gifted to the School of Justice Studies at Lethbridge Polytechnic for use in the program courtroom.
“This will help to understand the challenges and difficulties our people have gone through in the past and that the justice system will play a role in helping people to move forward,” said Jordan Head, the Indigenous cultural adviser at Lethbridge Polytechnic.
It is a sacred honour. The Indigenous eagle feather symbolizes trust, strength, wisdom and freedom. The feather was gifted to Lethbridge Polytechnic’s School of Justice Studies by Lowell Yellowhorn, a former employee of the institution. It was originally gifted to current instructor Gord Ryall, who then gave it the polytechnic.
Trudi Mason, the dean for the centre of justice and human services at Lethbridge Polytechnic, says this gift is important for students and staff alike.
“For me personally, it’s another way for us to recognize our Indigenous students and their culture,” Mason said.
It will stay in the polytechnic courtroom and will act in a similar fashion to a Bible or Qur’an when students swear an oath with it.
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“We have to be considering how we use the Indigenous ways of knowing and learning and how we use them in our classrooms and how we incorporate it into everything that we do daily,” said Mason.
After receiving the gift from Yellowhorn, Ryall felt compelled to offer the feather for use in the courtroom.
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“These were gifts given to me and I, in turn, wanted to have that in our courtroom to represent the exact same thing that is done in those courtrooms in Alberta,” said Ryall.
The decision to involve students at the polytechnic has been welcomed by the Indigenous community.
“This is very significant for our people, the Blackfoot people, for our culture to be acknowledged and accepted into the justice program,” said Head.
No matter whether students are Indigenous or not, the feather will be available for use by all.
“We have Blood Tribe police members attending our Lethbridge Polytechnic police academy. So, that’s another option for them and it’s not just specific for one individual or group of individuals,” said Ryall.
The eagle feather is an important piece of the justice system, according to Ryall.
“The eagle feather is significant for Indigenous people who are testifying on the witness stand,” said Ryall in a statement prior to the event.
“In real courtrooms — provincial courts and the Court of King’s Bench — an eagle feather is provided, and they swear to tell the truth on it as an alternative to religious texts such as the Bible or Qur’an. The eagle feather in our courtroom will represent the same level of significance for Indigenous students and police cadets.”
The event also had a smudging and blessing to mark the occasion.