Francis Audet and Darren Verreault work on the frame for the shaputuan being built on the east lawn of Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Oct. 31.Blair Gable/The Globe and Mail
An Indigenous group has raised a large traditional tent on the lawn of Parliament Hill to celebrate a program that places agents known as “guardians” across Canada to care for lands and waters.
The communal tent, known as a shaputuan in the Innu language, was organized by the Indigenous Leadership Initiative, a group that advocates for the guardian program nationally and promotes Indigenous-led conservation efforts.
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The 26-metre-long, five-metre-high structure is intended to bring attention to the work of guardians, trained Indigenous experts who work to manage protected areas, restore animal and plant habitats, test water quality and monitor development, among other things.
In general, shaputuan tents are places of celebration, assembly and ceremony, Valerie Courtois, executive director of the Indigenous Leadership Initiative, said in an interview. “They require a lot of work to put up,” she added.
The communal tent, known as a shaputuan in the Innu language, was organized by the Indigenous Leadership Initiative.Blair Gable/The Globe and Mail
This tent, raised by a Quebec firm that specializes in custom-made structures for large gatherings, went up Tuesday and is to be taken down Wednesday.
Although the group will be holding a news conference in Ottawa on Wednesday, Ms. Courtois suggested that its topic would not be a pitch for greater financial support.
“We’ve had ongoing asks in with the federal government for a long time, but this is not an event to highlight those. This is an event that’s really meant to be just a celebration,” Ms. Courtois said.
“We’re doing this so parliamentarians and senators can fall in love with guardians like we have.”
Ms. Courtois said officials on Parliament Hill welcomed the idea.
The 26-metre-long, five-metre-high structure is intended to bring attention to the work of guardians.Blair Gable/The Globe and Mail
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article stated incorrectly that the leadership initiative is partly funded by the federal government. In fact, the initiative is funded by private philanthropies. This version has been updated.
Ian Bailey