Community, culture, and the history of its location inspired the choice of the visual identity and team name for Chief Whitecap School.

The result is a school logo that features the silhouette of a buffalo and Prairie grasslands against a colourful sky along with the school's team name of Thunder.

Chief Whitecap School serves hundreds of students from the growing Stonebridge neighbourhood and has a unique connection with the Whitecap Dakota First Nation. The school is named after the Dakota leader, who is recognized as a co-founder of Saskatoon, and students from the First Nation attend Chief Whitecap School beginning in Grade 5.

Looking to honour this community connection, the Whitecap community was consulted on symbols significant to the Dakota people. Whitecap leadership, Elders, and community members provided input and advice. Elders recounted those massive herds of buffalo numbering the hundreds of thousands that once moved in groups through the prairies, creating the sound that earned them the nickname "Thunder of the Plains." 

The buffalo is a sacred animal for Plains Indigenous Nations, including the Dakota, Lakota, Nakota, Cree, Salteaux and Métis. It provided sustenance for life: food shelter, clothing, and tools. It also represented generosity and respect by sharing every part of its being to sustain the people. Today, education is referred to as the "new buffalo" because it provides employment opportunities needed to sustain a family.

The buffalo has historical significance to the Stonebridge neighbourhood where the school is located. Archaeological finds indicate an Indigenous presence in the area dating back more than 5,000 years, and the area near the current school site shows evidence of bison corral and processing sites and settlement locations of Indigenous peoples.

"If a whole herd was moving it would make a thundering sound," said Principal Harold Robertson. "We talked about the importance of a herd, of sticking together; we are part of a group. We talked about what it means and tying it to our school values around respect and kindness. We stick together and we support one another."

The logo's design, which was inspired by student-created artwork, was unveiled to an enthusiastic reception by students. Robertson says the identity and team name offer meaning on many levels for the school and its students and will play an important role in building the school's culture and community in the years to come.

"We are together," he says. "We create a thunder when we all move together."