Nursing student receives Royal Eagle Award at Indigenous Graduation

At the 2025 Indigenous Graduation Celebration held on June 11, the Faculty of Nursing’s Eva Haigh-Baptiste BN’25 was presented with the Royal Eagle Award.  

This award recognizes academic excellence, community-based volunteerism and student leadership. The Royal Eagle Award is sponsored and presented by Writing Symbols Lodge to a graduating Indigenous undergraduate student at the University of Calgary. This tribute includes a financial award of $1,000 and Haigh-Baptiste was also presented with a handmade drum and bag and an eagle feather. 

Haigh-Baptiste has made significant contributions towards the Indigenous community on and off campus and served as a role model or mentor within the campus community. She is from the Samson Cree Nation. She was previously the vice-president of Indigenous Initiatives with the Undergraduate Nursing Society (UNS) at the Faculty of Nursing. In 2023, she held a summer student position at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) as the Indigenous Health Program (IHP) assistant. 

“Receiving the Royal Eagle Award is an honour that reflects the strength and support of the community that has shaped me. It reminds me of the importance of giving back and carrying forward the values of leadership, connection, and service,” says Haigh-Baptiste. 

“I see this recognition not just as a personal achievement, but as a reflection of the people and teachings that continue to guide me.” 

The Indigenous Graduation Celebration is an annual event in which Writing Symbols Lodge invites Indigenous graduates from the University of Calgary to celebrate their achievements alongside their family, friends, Elders and community. This event is held in addition to the convocation ceremonies that all UCalgary graduates can attend upon completing their degrees.   

Indigenous graduates are honoured at the celebration with a gifting ceremony to commemorate this exciting achievement. From UCalgary, more than 300 Indigenous students graduated this year with 14 Indigenous undergrads from the Faculty of Nursing.  

“The Indigenous Graduation was a beautiful celebration of our community's strength and spirit. I felt deeply honoured to be recognized in such a meaningful way, surrounded by culture, ceremony and connection,” says Haigh-Baptiste. “It was a reminder of how healing community connection is.” 

Haigh-Baptiste says her goal is now to find a nursing position to gain hands-on experience, with the goal of returning to serve in the community and working within an Indigenous-focused health team in the near future. 

She is currently working as a conference coordinator for the upcoming 7th International Indigenous Voices in Social Work Conference (August 12 to 15). She is also supporting the IHP at CSM as the program assistant and lead of the Indigenous garden.