This year at Rosemont Elementary School started with a very exciting event, the raising of our school tipi! 

This tipi was crafted by Tony Solomon of Makwa Teepees and delivered to Rosemont Elementary school last year. AbEd Staff spent time with Tony learning the Anishnaabe protocol of tipis from his traditions. This is the first time it’s been raised at the school for the students to enjoy, marking the start of an exciting year. The District Indigenization guided the raising of the tipi and Mr. Geddis’ class helped with every part of the process. 

First we began with smudging all of the poles and the tipi skin. Then we raised the tripod, then individually raised each of the poles into their proper position. Once the poles were all in place, a long rope tied to the tripod was walked around the tipi 7 times, pulling tightly with each pass, to secure the nest of the tipi. The rope was then fastened to the ground to secure. Next, students helped raise the smoke flap poles which were placed into the smoke flaps of the tipi skin. With each inch the poles were pushed upward, the tipi skin was slowly raised upward, until they were both in the proper position. Next, students helped fasten the front of the tipi with sticks and attached the door. FInally, students hammered pegs into the ground to secure the tipi skin. 

Students had a chance to sit inside the tipi and learn the protocol about how to enter the tipi to follow the balance of energy in the universe, how to move in the tipi (always clockwise - the direction of the sun) and how to behave inside (positive actions, thoughts and words only). The order in which people enter the tipi correlates to where they sit inside. How we sit in the tipi mimics the balance of energy in the universe. The door to the tipi faces East, to ensure that the sun is the first thing you see when you open the door in the morning.

The tipi is an outdoor learning space for all classes to enjoy. Many teachers have enjoyed taking their classes there already, and I spent my first lesson of the year taking each of the classes into the tipi to discuss protocol, how the tipi was raised, and to listen to a story. We read “Grandma’s Tipi” and talked about how tipis can be used to live in, to gather for storytelling and much more. We plan to use the tipi as a learning space for many lessons this year. Families are more than welcome to visit the tipi as long as an adult is present and protocol is followed. We are so grateful for this learning space and are looking forward to spending time in it for years to come.