Sask. born woman embarking on ambitious teepee project
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Brenda Mercer is undertaking a big project, motivated by something very personal – a desire to better understand and connect with her culture.
This spring, Mercer, a member of Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation, is setting out to build seven large teepees, handmade from scratch.
“I’m still on a healing journey. I found last year, after I built my first teepee, I was really healing during that process,” said Mercer. “Growing up with non-Indigenous parents, you didn’t really have the opportunity to learn anything like what kids had who were raised in culture.”
Starting on March 16, Mercer will start constructing the teepees in a building donated for a month-and-a-half by the City of Medicine Hat. She has 400 yards of canvas, three industrial sewing machines, a stack of teepee poles, and a big dream to make it all happen.
