Oko Ake Yamni

Monday, May 23 to Sunday, May 29, 2011: high 72, low 33

Seven ladies from Sioux Falls came to Wingsprings Friday evening with lots of delicious food to feed Mom and me and themselves, and generous hearts to help set up the four tipis and the wall tents on Saturday. Without their help, i’m not sure how the lodges would have gotten set up in time for next week’s workshop. Saturday was a beautiful day weather-wise, and after a few false starts, the women got the four tipis up and the liners tied on. In the picture above, the twelve tipi poles are being tied together. The next step is to stand up the lift pole, to which the cover is tied. The lift pole is opposite the entrance and can be seen laying on the ground beyond the far side of the platform. Once the lift pole is leaned into the crouch of the tied poles, then the cover is unfurled in both directions and fastened together with wooden pins in the front, both below and above the door.