Campus tipi raising competition helps build community & raise awareness of First Nations culture

By Costa Maragos Posted: September 30, 2017 9:00 a.m.

As four people pushed hard to work together as a team to try to raise a tipi, Darcy Tourangeau, Lead Advisor, Indigenous Initiatives at K+S Potash, could only sit and marvel at the sight.

Tourangeau, from the Cote First Nation, was one of the judges at the 10th annual Glen Anaquod Tipi Raising Competition held on September 29 at the University of Regina, located on Treaty 4 territory.

The event is organized by the University’s Aboriginal Students Centre and sponsored by K+S Potash Canada.

Many thanks to one of our judges Darcy Tourangeau (centre) of K+S Potash, event sponsor. He's shown here with some members of the Aboriginal Student Centre and elder Murray Ironchild.

“It’s a wonderful event,” says Tourangeau. “K+S is committed to giving back to the community. We’ve been sponsoring this event for a number of years and will continue to sponsor it. It’s great for the community and everyone competing clearly loves it.”

With the goal of raising a tipi using only the tools provided, teams of four to five people raced against each other and the clock.

About half of the teams were from University departments and the other half from several Regina area schools, as well as employees from Evraz Place, Sask Gaming, and the City of Regina.

“We’re seeing a real evolution taking place with the campus community⎯faculty, staff, and students⎯coming together as a really big family to make this a great event. It’s only going to get bigger and better every year,” says Misty Longman, Manager of the Aboriginal Student Centre.

Family members of the late Glen Anaquod proudly display Regina’s newest street sign. Anaquod Road will replace Tower Road. Mayor Michael Fougere presented the sign to the family.

The tipi raising competition is named after the late Glen Anaquod, who was from the Muscowpetung First Nation in Saskatchewan. Anaquod was a cultural and traditional advisor at the U of R until his passing in 2011.
 
Members of the Anaquod family attend the event each year but this one is extra special.

The City of Regina recently re-named Tower Road to Anaquod Road. Mayor Michael Fougere was on hand, to take part in the tipi raising event and to present a street sign to the Anaquod family bearing the Anaquod name.

For Tourangeau, the ceremony in honour of the Anaquod family and the tipi raising are a far cry when he took classes at the U of R back in the early 1990s.  

“This event makes me feel very proud,” says Tourangeau, who earned a diploma in Indian Studies from the U of R. “When I was in University, you wouldn’t have seen an event like this. I’m very happy to see this happen today and to see so many students from so many backgrounds learn a little more about First Nations culture.”