Although Friday's night's convocation celebration is virtual, the accomplishment is very real — and so is the golden eagle feather some graduating Portage College students have received for their traditional right of passage.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of classrooms, as well as restriction on community gatherings, Portage College's annual convocation ceremony will be seen Friday on the Zoom platform from 7-8 p.m. In preparation for the socially-isolated event, Portage grads were sent packages that included grad caps, attendance scrolls, and for some, the traditional feather so they can take part in Friday's virtual graduation ceremony from their home-based computer screens in a mix of new tehcnology and generations-old tradition.
"A long time ago, when the Spirit of the Eagle came into this world, one of the things the Creator asked him was to look after the people," explained Eric Daniels, an Indigenous Elder from the region, known traditionally as a Knowledge Keeper. Daniels blessed dozens of golden eagle feathers that were included in the graduation packages of Indigenous students at this week's convocation ceremony. "The feather itself represents one of the highest honours within the people and the community," said Daniels in a video submission made for the virtual convocation ceremony. "It is given to certain people for their achievements and their struggles and their walks through of life."
Daniels says the feathers are a way to show tradition and accomplishment in a message meant for all people.
"It helps us to understand the values and the traditions of who we are as Indigenous people of this land," he said, adding that the blessing of the feather is hoped to bring good fortune to the recipients and those near to them, "... so your home fires will be kept safe."
Long tradition of strength
The connection between Indigenous communities and the college go back 50 years to the institution's inception. Opened initially as a training centre, the facility faced government funding cuts and closure just a year after the doors opened. A sit-in protest, lead by Indigenous students and supporters managed to keep keep the doors open. More than five decades later, Portage College's current president Nancy Broadbent says that resilience and dedication continues in all students — especially in the Class of 2020 who have dealt with significant challenges and transitions forced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Probably your class more than any other class in the last 50 years is certainly echoing the strength and perseverance that was evident when the group organized the sit in in 1970 to keep the college halls open," says Broadbent in her address to the 2020 graduates through a virtual message, smiling as she continues, "in your case, however, I think it was more of a sit-out."
Broadbent hopes the graduates will use the strengths they learned along with the education to forge successful paths into the future.
"I want you to remember that mettle. You really showed that to the world in being able to get here today."
There were 501 students in the Portage College Grad 2020 class from campus locations and programs across the Lakeland area.
