Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Fort Smith (Oct 04/04) - Fort Smith's high school students will be taking some of their lessons in a rather unique new classroom this winter: a teepee built by a group of their peers.

"It's a place where we can bring students for any class to teach out here, just to get out of the school environment," says Cindy Bye, cultural co-ordinator at Paul William Kaeser high school (PWK).

Stephanie Vermillion, a 15-year-old student at PWK, helped build the teepee, which is located on the grounds of the Northern Life Museum.

She said it helps bring people together and she hopes many classes will be held there.

"It's relaxing. It's like it's outside."

Among other classes, the teepee will be used to teach aboriginal studies and Northern studies, which often invites community elders to speak to students.

Bye hopes the teepee will create a more welcoming environment for the elders.

"I would suggest they would be more comfortable here because in front of a class can be intimidating, at times," she said.

On Sept. 10, students collected willows, peeled poles, made pegs and collected rocks for the fire pit inside the teepee.

They also participated in the blessing of the teepee on Sept. 13 under the guidance of Pat Burke, who explained the significance of each pole. Each one symbolizes a quality such as compassion, humility, kinship, thankfulness, honesty, love and obedience.

Bye says the teepee is for all students. "It's a nice place for them to reflect on who they are and what kind of person they are."

She also hopes other organizations can find ways to use the teepee.

The 22-foot diameter canvas teepee cost just under $2,000.