If you’ve noticed the teepees by the Burntwood River you’re probably wondering why they’re there. It’s called Tawipisim. Jean Merasty, owner of the set up,  talks here about what it is.

“Tawipisim roughly translates to ‘pathway to the sun'. It’s an aboriginal cultural tourism business. It’s going to focus on the aboriginal culture. So I’ve set up the teepees and prospector tents and we have different things going in programming.”

Workshops include bead working, dream catcher making, and cultural teachings. Merasty says she started this business to teach everyone about the aboriginal culture, but says that is not all Tawipisim has to offer.

“We are also open for organizations that want to deliver their workshops. They can rent  our teepees and they can deliver their workshops there. We’re prepared to help them put the agenda together, and maybe deliver workshops to them if that is their wish. We also have teepees to rent out for the night.”

Tawipisim is open Thursday and Friday from 5-9pm, Saturday from 2-8pm, and Sunday from 2-6pm.  It’s free to enter the site, but there's a charge for workshops.

Jean Merasty hopes to make this an annual summer tourist attraction.

To learn more visit www.tawipisim.com.