'A barrier-breaking moment': Yorkton becomes first Sask. municipality with permanent tipi structure
A day not many will not forget in Yorkton — the Tribal Council’s new tipi is now displayed proudly in City Centre Park.
The official unveiling was held Thursday, one day before the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. It replaces the old sundial, which is now located at the Yorkton Brick Flour Mill site.
The project cost roughly $190,000 total, with Yorkton Tribal Council (YTC) covering all but $10,000 of the price tag. The City of Yorkton paid up to $10,000 for a new concrete slab.
It was emotional for many in the crowd, including Mayor Mitch Hippsley.
“The tipi, for me, is a symbol of family, love and community,” he said during the unveiling, holding back tears.
Following the unveiling, Hippsley admitted it was tough to put the words together, but a moment filled with pride.
“So proud, and so happy,” he said. “To actually be witness this event and be a part of it, it was a real privilege.”
The presentation included a moment of unity, where YTC’s Cory Cadotte had multiple members of the community come up and read off each tipi teaching, which included hope, unity and humility. Cadotte then explained the meanings to the crowd.
All throughout this, Tribal Chief Isabel O’Soup admitted it was emotional watching everything unfold.
“I’m just so proud to be able to do this. For my ancestors, for everyone,” she said.
“At one time, we were not allowed to practice our language, culture and traditions. This is just a barrier-breaking moment for me — I love it.”
The tipi structure is the first of its kind in Saskatchewan, which O’Soup said she hopes is the first of many firsts, as the tribal council and its partners across Yorkton and area push ahead on the path of reconciliation.
She adds that she hopes this tipi structure stays in City Centre Park forever, a estimate of the community’s continuing path to working together on that reconciliation road.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.