Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 17/00) - The historic debut of the new NWT mace was an event matched only, in recent times, by the April 1 unveiling of Nunavut's symbol of government.

The mace, now on display at the NWT legislature in Yellowknife, was introduced to the public for the first time Friday after members of the legislative assembly were sworn in.

When the territories divided, the original mace, which was in use since the 1950s, was retired to a display at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yk.

The old mace, now a priceless object, was originally designed by James Houston and built by eight Inuit craftsmen from Cape Dorset. Houston is known for introducing Inuit carving to the south.

Last year, a call was put out to NWT artists to submit proposals for a new mace. From among the submissions, the team of Bill Nasogaluak, Dolphus Cadieux and Allyson Simmie was chosen.

Nasogaluak and Cadieux are both carvers, while Simmie is a metal artist.

The mace -- a traditional symbol of government authority -- traces its origin to a medieval weapon of war. Royal sergeants-at-arms would carry a mace in order to arrest common folk without a warrant. Their maces were the symbol that they had the authority to do so, as they were stamped with the royal coat of arms.

Today the mace is a symbol, not a weapon. It is carried into the legislature by a sergeant-at-arms who is followed into the chamber by the Speaker and the clerks.

The artists had a budget of $129,000 and they used silver, gold, diamond, cast bronze, marble, wood, quill work and beading in its construction.

The team of artists built the mace in secrecy, careful to not reveal that the design would represent the main ethnic groups of the NWT: the Dene, the Inuit and Inuvialuit, the Metis and Euro-Canadians.

The team took great care to ensure valuable symbolism of the NWT was included in the design of both the mace and its base. The flora and fauna of the Western Arctic are represented, as is the terrain, notably, the Mackenzie Delta.

Nasogaluak, Cadieux and Simmie, who were all present at the unveiling, were joined by elders Sarah Hardisty, of Jean Marie River, and Rosie Firth, of Fort McPherson. The two women were responsible for the quill work and beading, respectively.

In next weeks's edition, the three artists will talk about their feelings and experiences surrounding the creation and unveiling of this symbolic object.