Tipi Raising at Indigenous Orientation 2017

A beautiful day for a Tipi Raising in the Quad, part of Indigenous Orientation 2017.

Photo Gallery: Indigenous Orientation 2017 Instagram Takeover

September 13, 2017 —

Indigenous Orientation is celebrated every fall as a way of welcoming new students to campus and highlighting Indigenous culture and programs at the U of M. Education student Kristin Flattery took over the UofM student Instagram account on Tuesday, September 12th to give an inside look at the Tipi Raising, Indigenous Celebration Stations, #IDeclareIndigenous photo booth and more. Here’s a look at her images and insightful knowledge around the day’s events and traditions.

Follow along as first year education student Kristin Flattery takes over our account for Qualico Bridge to Success Indigenous Orientation! The celebration begins at 10 a.m. at the Quad and all activities are free and open to everyone.

Hello, my name is Kristin, and I will be covering the Qualico Indigenous Orientation happening today on campus! Currently, we are having a traditional Teepee raising, in the, Quad. Later today, We will have Métis jigging, trivia, Indigenous games, celebration stations, food, and the, "I declare Indigenous," Photo Booth!! T-shirts are only 5 $

There are 13 poles that make up the structure of the teepee. Each pole has a specific teaching. The teepee is a woman's teaching and was traditionally constructed by a woman. Unless, a woman asked a male, for assistance. By this request, he was obligated, to assist her and her family. In First Nation Cultural, men took lead from the women of the tribe. In most tribes, Chiefs sought advice from the grandmothers, before making a decision. Where as, in the dominant western culture, woman were suppressed to take lead from their men counterparts.

Our Tepees here are generally 10-18 feet tall with an 18 feet diameter.

In Anishinaabe, our doorway faces East. We recognize that East, is the direction that life comes from.

The East is represented by the season spring, when life is born.

That is why we believe life begins in east.

Teepee's generally have 13 poles. 13 poles to represent the 13 times we have seen Grandmother moon.

We have 13 moons a year therefore in our Calendar we have 13 months with 28 days cycles.

The life pole or heart pole, is the pole which is raised in the centre. Each pole is wrapped around the heart pole.

The 2 poles that raise the door flaps represent a mother with open arms, welcoming you into the home.

The teepee itself is similar to a woman's traditional skirt.

A little information about the Red River Jig! Jigging combined powwow Dance with Irish Highland dancing to create the Métis jig. Settlers came to Canada & married our First Nation sisters & brothers. Powwow had been banned as it was labeled a product of war. Métis would have secret traditional parties and danced in secrecy to keep their culture alive. The lovely Ashley shares her talent with us. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BY8r4M8gAiK/" style="color:#fff;">Watch the video »</a>

Staff & Students came together to learn how to traditionally raise a teepee under the guidance of Elder Carl Stone. Raising the teepee was a great community activity as it brought many people together and we all had to do our part in order to make it work. Raising a teepee involves team work & effective communication, as well as, trust.

Stop by the Quad & grab some popcorn from, Nicole, at the Qualico Indigenous Orientation stations. Did you know corn was one of the, "three sisters," Indigenous peoples would grow? The three sisters are: corn, beans, and squash. Corn stood as a base for the beans to climb, the beans provided nitrogen to the soil, while the squash plants leaves are large enough to cover the soil, thus preventing weeds.

Playing musical chairs, Indigenous style! Elder Carl Stone provided the beautiful music with his drum while singing in his language. Originally, there were roughly 20 scholarly students playing, but as the rules of musical chairs go, a chair was removed making the circle smaller and smaller. Chii Miigwech Carl & Trevor for the game and congrats to Taylor! <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BY8x2G8AdtZ/" style="color:#fff;">Watch the video »</a>

@umasacouncil is having a membership drive in the, Indigenous Students Centre, aka Migizii Agamik. UMASA is a student advocacy group that promotes Indigenous culture. UMASA coordinates many fun, yet empowering events. They have quiet student space in their lounge. The lounge is accompanied with amenities such as: a fridge, comfortable couches, and a Keurig Coffee Machine. They also host cultural events such as sweats, beading, dancing, paint nights, as well as, star blanket & drum making workshops. **Any student of any ethnicity may join.** Other important student groups you many join include: @musaumanitoba & @milsa.robsonhall who were also apart. They are very open to any questions you may have.

Students in the, "I Declare Indigenous," Photo Booth with all their empowering reasons as to why they choose to claim their Indigenous ancestry!

Students in the, "I Declare Indigenous," Photo Booth with all their empowering reasons as to why they choose to claim their Indigenous ancestry!

Students in the, "I Declare Indigenous," Photo Booth with all their empowering reasons as to why they choose to claim their Indigenous ancestry!

Students in the, "I Declare Indigenous," Photo Booth with all their empowering reasons as to why they choose to claim their Indigenous ancestry!

Students in the, "I Declare Indigenous," Photo Booth with all their empowering reasons as to why they choose to claim their Indigenous ancestry!

Students in the, "I Declare Indigenous," Photo Booth with all their empowering reasons as to why they choose to claim their Indigenous ancestry!

Métis extraordinaire Ashley Campbell & Vince O'Laney teaching students how to Métis jig. Excellent way to stay in shape, have fun, and learn about a fascinating culture here in Canada. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BY87DlOAtq0/" style="color:#fff;">Watch the video »</a>

We hope you had the opportunity to check out the Métis pavilion from the Louis Riel Institute, during our Qualico Indigenous orientation. Students and staff had the opportunity to dress like an authentic Métis person, learn more about the culture, our what little clubs and activities they have to offer. Did you know that, to be Métis does not mean, you are a mixture of French & First Nation... it has to do with being born to a specific region, where they Métis lived.

What goes us, must come down. The traditional teepee/tiipii has been taken down. Taking down the teepee takes just as much team work and cooperation as it does assembling it. Once the teepee poles are on the ground you are not suppose to step over them. You walk around them as they are something to be respected. They are the structure to the home. The ribs of the foundation. A fire would have been built in the centre of the teepee, therefore, a small hole in the top is left open for smoke ventilation. Chii Miigwech Carl Stone & Leah Fontaine for speaking about the teachings regarding the teepee to everyone and welcoming students from all walks of life to participate. **incase you missed the teepee, there is one currently set up in front of Migizii Agamik, the Indigenous Students Centre**

Kristin, and Annie too, would like to say giga-waabamin-apii, see you later, rather than goodbye. In Indigenous culture we do not, have a word for, "goodbye." In Anishinaabe, we say: "see you soon:giga-waabamin wiiba, see tomorrow:giga-waabamin waabang, see you again:giga-waabamin miinawaa." We hoped you had some fun while learning and/or even joined us here in the Quad & @ Migizii Agamik. Remember, there are some fantastic student groups to be apart of including @umasacouncil @musaumanitoba & @milsa.robsonhall !! So have some fun while you're hear and get involved with some student groups here on #Umanitoba campus.

UM Today staff

Faculty of Education, Indigenous, Instagram, Orientation, social media, Student