McMaster's Indigenous Outdoor Classroom

At the heart of the gathering space, you’ll find a large Medicine Wheel, a holistic teaching tool often used to symbolise healing and interconnectedness. This Medicine Wheel in particular is a Four Directions Sign of the Anishinaabe Nation.

“Different cultures have the Medicine Wheel, but different cultures have different meanings behind it,” shares Makasa Looking Horse, McMaster Indigenous Studies Alumna and current Indigenous engagement & restoration intern with Nature at McMaster.

By the south steps of the outdoor classroom, you’ll find the three stone slabs depicting the wampum belts, which are symbols of agreements between the Haudenosaunee and European settlers.

The first is the Dish with One Spoon wampum belt which symbolises the importance of sharing and respecting natural resources.

Adrianne Lickers Xavier, an Assistant Professor from the Department of Indigenous Studies, shares that, “the circular shape in the centre is the representation of the dish, or the region –– the natural environment and shared community that we all eat from, and in turn must care for.”

The second is the Friendship Belt, representing the necessity of peace and friendship between Indigenous and settler communities for the well-being of all.

“The Friendship Belt has two separate figures representing the (then) King and the Haudenosaunee people with their arms extended and a covenant chain between them. The chain and belt represent the friendship traits of clear and honest communication,” Adrianne shares.

The third is the Two Row Belt, which stresses the importance of peaceful coexistence and non-interference between cultures, a reminder about the importance of collaboration, depicted by two parallel lines running lengthwise across a river.

“The representation is of the respectful and separate but adjacent journey that the Indigenous and non-Indigenous people are on,” says Adrianne.

“It displays how we’re supposed to be working together, a treaty made between the Dutch and the Haudenosaunee,” Makasa adds.

Upon entering the circle, you will pass by a White Pine, or, the Great Tree of Peace, with roots deep in the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. This was the species of tree which leaders of the Mohawk, the Oneida, the Onondaga, the Cayuga and the Seneca met by when they created the Great Law of Peace, guiding Haudenosaunee politics and culture to focus on unity and finding consensus to benefit all nations during moments of conflict.

The design for this outdoor classroom was created by McMaster’s Indigenous Education Council and Facility Services’ Grounds department.

“This is the biggest hand-made landscaping structure at Mac,” says Luke Vlatkovic, head of Grounds and project designer and constructor. “The only part of the garden we had to have ordered and delivered outside of Mac was the Medicine Wheel. Everything else was done by hand. It was like making an art piece.”

Al of the original plants in the garden including ninebark, a very disease- and pest-tolerant plant that is excellent for managing soil erosion –– were sourced from Haudenosaunee territory and play a vital role in supporting the local biosphere.

The native plants were sourced from Kayanese, a plant nursery in association with the Six Nations of the Grand River, focussed on restoring our natural environment with native plants and using Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). The rocks around the circle, creating tiered seating for 150 people overlooking the lush foliage of Cootes Paradise, were sourced from a local quarry.

“Anyone can use this classroom,” shares Makasa. “I did a talk there with a conservation group. It was their first time being in an outdoor classroom that was designed for Indigenous teaching.”

The official opening was held in late September of 2016, but the first eager class to use the space came even a few weeks earlier.

“I prefer an outdoor classroom. There is a stronger feeling of being connected and you’re not restricted to fluorescent lighting and white walls. It’s a practical way to relate to a lot of the things we talk about, not just theories and writing and essays,” says Makasa.

As this outdoor space continues to thrive and support biodiversity in the area, McMaster will be a steward to it, reflecting some of the core the principles of the Indigenous nations whose land McMaster resides upon. “It’s important to have Indigenous spaces on campus, to make Indigenous people feel welcome and safe and supported,” says Makasa.

For more information about how to book the space, please contact the department of Indigenous studies.