Okotoks youth get hands-on with traditional tipi building

The young participants had a pole lot to learn.

Local youth learned how to raise a tipi during the Mini Tipi Camp Races at Howard Park North Soccer Field in Okotoks on Saturday.

The activity was part of the town’s annual Powwow, All-Indigenous Artisan Market and Tipi Camp. The Tipi Camp ran from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Participants learned how to set up and secure the poles, place the covering, hammer in support pegs and take the structure down afterward.

Traditionally built with wooden poles and bison-hide coverings, tipis continue to hold cultural significance for many Indigenous Peoples. The activity helped pass the tradition on to younger generations.

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