Northwest Territories
Territorial Mace
This Mace was unveiled at the
start of the 14th Legislative Assembly in January 2000. The Mace reflects the
new Northwest Territories and is the symbol of the authority of the Legislature
and its Speaker. Designed by Bill Nasogaluak, Dolphus Cadieux and Allyson M.
Simmie, the Mace is truly unique in many aspects of its design.
Composed mainly of silver and bronze the mace measures 1.5 meters in length and weighs 12 kilograms. The top glistens with a snowflake crown symbolizing the strength and diversity of the people and the traditional link with the British monarchy. Nestled within the snowflake crown, a golden orb represents the midnight sun, the circle of life and the world. On top of the orb sits a silver crosspiece that together forms an ulu, a tipi and a house representing the cultures of the territory - Inuvialuit, Dene/Metis and the many non-aboriginal people. On top of the crosspiece sits a 1.31 carat northern diamond.
Beneath the crown rests a band of silver engraved with the words "one land, many voices" in 10 of the languages used in the NWT. Below the band are six high relief panels inlaid in silver that depict northern wildlife and cultures. A band of beadwork resembling Delta braid is found beneath the head.
The shaft of the mace is a bronze cast of a stylized narwhal tusk honoring the history of our legislature. Further down the shaft a band of porcupine quillwork shows another aspect of Dene/Metis heritage.
The final section features a six-sided foot of silver carved in shallow relief depicting the entire landscape of the Northwest Territories from north to south.
The most unusual feature of this mace is its sound. Within the language band, the shaft and the foot are tiny pebbles collected from the 33 communities in the NWT. When moved, the shifting of the pebbles creates a magical sound similar to a rainstick. This sound represents the united voices of the people.
When not in use the mace rests in the stand you see here. Made of white marble to symbolize the snow that is so much a part of northern life, the image of the mighty Mackenzie River and Great Slave and Great Bear lakes is carved. Also carved are images of the territorial flower, the mountain aven, in silver and NWT gold surrounded by clusters of the oldest rock in the world (3.962 billion years old). Between the two lakes are 33 nuggets of northern gold representing the strength and unity of the 33 communities in the NWT.
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Courtesy of Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories
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