The Mace: Carving Meaning Into Convocation
Published4 June, 2025
Photo credit CapU photo archive
Each year at Convocation, a carved wooden staff topped with bronze feathers leads Capilano University's academic procession. This is the mace.
More than just a ceremonial artifact, the mace symbolizes CapU’s authority to grant degrees. But it also tells a much deeper story – one of place, tradition and the vision for a shared future.
Commissioned in 2008 as Capilano College became Capilano University.
The mace was carved from a 300-year-old yew tree, a species native to the region and long respected for its strength, resilience and spiritual significance. The tree had been cut down decades earlier, its wood cured and ready – almost waiting – for this purpose.
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) artist Xwalacktun (Rick Harry), who once studied at CapU and Emily Carr, brought the mace to life.
Every curve and carving tells a story.
- The thunderbird, bear and salmon – three animals deeply rooted in Coast Salish traditions – embody power, protection and renewal. Their presence grounds the mace in this land’s cultural and ecological fabric.
- Even the details carry layered meaning. The top of the thunderbird’s head incorporates the old Capilano College “CC” symbol, inverted and cast in bronze to form feathers.
- Handprints carved into the yew signify both carrying and being carried – a visual echo of the university’s commitment to community, support and legacy.
- The base, created by CapU sculptor George Rammell, includes the footprints of birds, bears, deer and humans.
- These footsteps serve as a reminder of the path we leave for future generations, and the impact we make on a shared, fragile planet.
Today, the ceremonial role of the mace connects past to present.
Its origins stretch back to medieval Europe, when the mace symbolized the power of universities to confer degrees and keep order.
Traditionally borne by the Bedellus, or Beadle, the role has evolved over centuries, but the symbolism endures. The CapU 2025 Convocation mace bearer is Debbie Jamison, vice-chair of Senate – a modern echo of the longstanding academic tradition.
“The mace goes before the most important person,” says Alexa Morgan, ceremonies & protocol officer, University Events & Ceremonies. “But its presence speaks to more than hierarchy. As it leads the Convocation ceremony, the mace reminds us that we are on a collective journey.”
“[The mace] bridges Indigenous knowledge systems and Western academic traditions. It roots us in the lands we share – from Deep Cove to Mt. Currie to the Sunshine Coast. And it carves out space for reflection, celebration and future possibility.”
Incorporating Sḵwx̱wú7mesh art and symbolism into Convocation honours the lands CapU is on and the people who have always been here.
These traditions make Convocation ceremonies not only meaningful but deeply connected to place.
So, when students, families and faculty gather to mark the milestone of their CapU graduation, they’re also witnessing something timeless.
