3 children come forward in Liverpool wigwam vandalism case
RCMP says three children took responsibility for vandalizing a wigwam in Liverpool, NS, reported earlier this year.
On March 27, the Mounties responded to a call from a wrecked wigwam on school grounds on Old Port Mouton Road.
At the time, police said the bark was removed from the structure between March 24 and 27, and the initial investigation treated the case as hate-motivated.
On Tuesday, RCMP said they had learned that three children, all under the age of 12, had come forward and admitted the vandalism.
The matter is now being dealt with by the school board and the parents of the children.
The Wigwam project dates back to 2019
The wigwam was originally built with the help of students in Grade 4 and Grade 5 at Dr. John C. Wickwire Academy in 2019.
The students teamed up with Mi’kmaw craftsman Todd Labrador. They collected materials, including spruce roots, to use in the construction of the wigwam.
After the wigwam was completed, it was installed in an area adjacent to the school’s soccer field.
When the vandalism was first reported, school principal Stacy Thorburn wrote in a Facebook post that the land where the wigwam stands is “very sacred” and “has been used by many members of our school and wider community as a place to come, to think, learn and recognize.”
Reconstruction began in May when students from all grades of the school returned to the construction site to reassemble the building. Labrador also returned to help repair the wigwam.
