London public school unveils new Indigenous-inspired playground

Students and staff at C.C. Carrothers Public School celebrated the grand opening of their new Indigenous-inspired playground on Friday.

Hundreds gathered at the school on Chippendale Crescent to watch as members of the local Indigenous community blessed the space in their school yard, which will serve as both a playground and an outdoor learning space.

Vice-principal Jeffrey Holbrough tells AM980 it’s the first of its kind in the Thames Valley District School Board.

“We have a large Indigenous population at our school and our community, and we felt that making a playground that is Indigenous-inspired would help bring our communities together, and I think we really accomplished that, I really do,” said Holbrough.

Students spent the past year raising over $30,000 to help construct the playground. Funding also came from the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, the London Community Foundation — Canada 150 Grant, the Kayser Family Foundation and Mike and Judy Reeve.

The TVDSB currently has 1,900 self-identified First Nations, Métis or Inuit students. Holbrough said the playground is a collaborative project developed in consultation with the community.

“It’s going to be a teaching space starting from our medicine wheel and our infinity [path] and so we’re going to use it as a space for where children and teachers come and talk about the earth, talk about how important it is to protect our earth, and we talk about the grandfather teachings of love and respect and dignity, and those are Indigenous things that they talk about, but that’s for everybody, it’s not just for us,” he said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's going to be a teaching space starting from our medicine wheel and our infinity [path] and so we're going to use it as a space for where children and teachers come and talk about the earth, talk about how important it is to protect our earth, and we talk about the grandfather teachings of love and respect and dignity, and those are Indigenous things that they talk about, but that's for everybody, it's not just for us," he said.

Grade 8 student Deona Doxtator, who is from Oneida and Chippewa of the Thames First Nations, took part in the traditional round dance during the grand opening ceremony.

“It was really good and I felt very proud of myself to be part of the ceremony,” she said. “The round dance is supposed to bring everyone together and it’s a happy dance. It’s supposed to be a happy friendship and closeness dance.”

Doxtator loves that the playground promotes inclusivity in the community.

“It makes me feel very welcomed and respected as an Indigenous person, and I’m really proud that my school has opened this playground for more kids, and not just Indigenous kids but for everybody to learn from it,” she said.