UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA
UNBC marks decades-long relationship with artist Dr. Ron Sebastian

A new plaque placed outside the UNBC Senate Chambers doors marks the latest chapter in a relationship between the University and artist Dr. Ron Sebastian that stretches back to the institution's earliest days.

Sebastian, an acclaimed northwest coast Indigenous artist of Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en ancestry, has left his mark across the Prince George campus in ways many people encounter daily without necessarily knowing the story behind them. 

The intricately carved and painted Senate doors are a prime example. Sebastian started work on the doors in his basement studio in Hazelton before bringing the partially completed doors to the Prince George campus during the summer of 1999. He set up shop in the Doug Little Lounge, giving students, faculty, staff and visitors a first-hand view of his process. Sebastian spent weeks using his knives, chisels and gouges to transform the two yellow cedar panels into the iconic gateway to the Senate Chambers.

In choosing his designs, Sebastian was careful to select symbols that represent the full diversity of imagery used by Indigenous communities across northern B.C. 

"When I was designing the Senate Chamber doors, I pretty well covered all of the Clans across the region," he told UNBC First Nations Studies Associate Professor Dr. Rheanna Robinson for a research project in 2018. "On the inside of the doors I painted the Clans all dancing, it was quite the project." 

In an era before smartphones, Sebastian used a camcorder to document his progress and explain some of the symbolism his carvings represent. The video, with his commentary, is available on the Northern BC Archives YouTube channel.

Sebastian also carved the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor's Ceremonial Chairs and the Talking Stick which have anchored Convocation ceremonies for decades. All three are now on display in Charles McCaffray Hall. The pieces were always meant to be more than decorative; they carry the story of Indigenous Peoples in the region and play a central role in how UNBC marks its most significant occasions.

Sebastian also contributed to the design of UNBC's Coat of Arms and has donated several other pieces of artwork to the University over the years, including a carved Raven on permanent display in the Robert Frederick Gallery. 

Sebastian returned to UNBC in 2015 to take part in the University's 25th anniversary celebrations, where he shared the story behind the Chairs and Talking Stick with the community.

In 2022, Sebastian received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree at a special ceremony honouring the graduating classes of 2020 and 2021. During his address to the graduates, he reminisced how he started working on the Chairs and talking stick while his children were little and now he was able to show his grandchildren his work. After the ceremony, his extended family came on stage for a group photo, with Sebastian holding the Talking Stick.

"I could still feel the warmth of the Talking Stick and the Chairs," he told Robinson in 2018. "As an artist, I could feel the warmth when I was carving the Chairs. Then when I got to sit in them in Prince George, that's when I could really feel the power of the designs."