At Thompson Rivers University, the Eagle Mace will take part in the university’s Williams Lake Commencement for the first time this month. The mace was carved by Esk’etemc (Alkali Lake) artist Wilfred Robbins Sr from a single piece of moose antler to look like a bald eagle. “In our culture we honour the four: the ones that crawl, the ones that swim, the ones that fly and the ones that walk,” explained Robbins. “We use the eagle because it’s the highest-flying bird. When we pray, it takes our messages up, that’s how we think about it.” The mace will be used every spring at TRU’s Williams Lake Commencement ceremony and will be displayed on campus the rest of the year. Robbins said that his is the first time that his work has been exhibited and described the experience as “an honour.”
