Eagle feather acknowledgement welcome

This appeared in the Halifax Chronicle Herald: A memorable, and most welcome, Canadian first took place in Nova Scotia this week.

On Monday, a ceremony at provincial RCMP headquarters in Dartmouth (Nova Scotia) attended by Indigenous leaders, provincial officials and members of the RCMP acknowledged the eagle feather — long a powerful spiritual symbol for First Nations people — can be used by Aboriginal people to swear legal oaths.

Doing so is showing appropriate respect for the strong, spiritual importance of the eagle feather in Aboriginal culture.

We share hopes the practice will spread to RCMP detachments nationwide.

Affirming the eagle feather’s suitability for witness- es, victims, accused and police officers to swear oaths at RCMP detachments does, as the province’s lieutenant-governor Arthur LeBlanc aptly said Monday, mark a significant step toward reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

The eagle feather is used in sacred ceremonies by First Nations across North America.

Some may remember Manitoba NDP MLA Elijah Harper holding an eagle feather for spiritual strength in June, 1990, during the divisive debate in which he effectively derailed the Meech Lake Accord.

We also welcome news that Nova Scotia’s provincial court system hopes to adopt the practice this month. Courts in Ontario have been able to use eagle feathers for oaths since at least 2012.