July 25 – A Night in a Tipi

Today we went on a unique adventure.  But before we started, we picked up Tanya’s niece and nephew to take along on our trip.
Then we entered another time at the Wanuskewin Heritage Park.  This is a fabulous museum and surrounding land dedicated to the culture and history of Plains Indians.  When we first arrived we witnessed a Grass Dancer, from Manitoba, dance some of his traditional dances in his bright regalia.  One of the interpreters showed us how tipis were erected, explaining the significance of the different poles used to support the structure.  We also heard about the importance of the Bison and their co-existence with the people of the land.  And we viewed some of the unique and beautiful artwork on display.  

But our real adventure didn’t begin until we met our guide, George.  George recounted the tradition of a Buffalo Jump and took us on a Bison hunt.  Some of the hunters in our group were successful (including the youngest) at hitting the targets, so we were fortunate to have Bison burgers for dinner (although the kids opted for hamburgers…).

After dinner our guide led us on a hike on the nature trails, describing the native plants and their medicinal (or not-so-medicinal) attributes.

As the sun set over the prairies, we retired to our tipi, where we were to spend the night.

Before settling down for the night, we played games, listened to stories, and cooked bannock (a type of bread dough) over the camp fire.

We were all ready for a good night sleep in our Tipi!

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