Police charge 12-year-old for vandalizing teepee
Two youths have been accused of vandalizing a newly erected teepee at a northern Ontario elementary school and one is facing charges, police say.
A new outdoor teepee at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Elementary School on Coursol Street in Sturgeon Falls was first reported as damaged June 3 and sustained further damage over the weekend, Ontario Provincial Police said in a news release.
"Last week someone came and broke a teepee pole and then on the weekend someone cut the teepee," Indigenous leader George Couchie Redtail Hawk, of Nipissing First Nation, said in a tweet.
"I feel so bad for the students who were so proud of the new teepee. Racism and mischief is alive and well."
Two young people have been identified as being involved, but because one of the accused is under 12 years old, they cannot be charged. Police said they have spoken to the kid and their parents/guardians.
The 12-year-old was arrested and charged Tuesday with three counts of mischief, including one in relation to cultural property.
In an email to CTV News, the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board (NPSC) said it was "extremely disappointed to learn about the vandalism."
"The teepee holds cultural significance and is used by the whole school community to learn about First Nation history and culture," board spokesperson Victoria Johnson said.
"NPSC is saddened by this destruction and is working collaboratively with local community partners in light of this information."
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