New this year! Indigenous graduation stoles

This year, SLC gifted Indigenous graduates with a unique stole incorporated with elements of the College and recognition of the historical land we reside on. The graduation stoles are elegantly draped and adorned with colors, designs, symbols, affiliation, achievements, and heritage to enhance the graduate's gown.  
 
The history of wearing graduation stoles dates to the medieval European era and is often a visual indicator of one’s academic and/or professional achievements. Many colleges and universities globally embrace the tradition of gifting stoles to mark academic accomplishments while including personal and cultural identity. SLC’s stole is proudly adorning academic and Indigenous symbolism with each element strategically positioned on the stole to remind us to “live in balance.” 
 
St. Lawrence College campuses reside on traditional Haudenosaunee territory where the Anishinaabe Peoples would come and share fur trading routes with the Haudenosaune and other allied Nations. Hence, we have included the Hiawatha Flag and the Thunderbird representative of these respective Indigenous Nations. Over the Heart side of the stole, we placed the Waasaabiidaasamose logo, which “portrays images connected to Inuit, Metis and First Nations Peoples, who have inhabited Turtle Island since time immemorial. Each image is symbolic of the Peoples themselves and is encircled by the representation of a drum, the heartbeat of Mother Earth. Drums are more than a musical instrument or communication tool; they symbolize a lifelong connection with all living things and the Creator.”