Student-built wigwam a central piece of Mount Stewart Consolidated

A wigwam at Mount Stewart Consolidated School has become a popular and central place for students to learn, talk and reflect.

Junior Peter-Paul, of Abegweit First Nation, showed and helped students buildthe wigwam earlier this fall as part of a Canada 150 project and it's been a central piece to the school grounds ever since.

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"It was just like me the first time I started building it," Peter-Paul said.

"They did pretty good, they were really hands on."

He said building the wigwam only takes about a day, but it can take a long time to prepare,harvesting and finding materials like birch bark and spruce roots.

It's a part of my culture and I like having a little bit of it at school.Joey Jadis

The area has become a sort of outdoor classroom at times, but it mostly serves as a spot for students to talk and relax.

It's a lot of work, but he's proud of it and excited the students have such an interest in it.

"I like it because to me it's like the only wigwam in the school system on the Island," he said.

"A lot of our children here, they're learning about it and they're sharing it with the other kids in this school."

'They were the first people here'

"It's a part of my culture and I justlike having a little bit of it at school," saidJoey Jadis, a 13-year-old student at the school.

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When he's older he said he'd like to build one with his grandfather and maybe spend some time living inone to learn more about the whole process first hand.

Dean Myers, 9, said he likes to spend time in the wigwam with his friends during recess and that it's an important piece of the school now.

"I like that they built it here because it's just so fun and interesting," he said.

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