For three days in May, nearly 160 Indigenous Youth Leadership students from Frontier, Louis Riel, Seven Oaks, and St. James-Assiniboia School Divisions gathered for Tipis and Telescopes at Windsor School.  

Tipis and Telescopes gave students an opportunity to learn about the stars from Elder Wildred Buck and Dr. Juan Carlos Chavez, leaders in Indigenous knowledge and star stories.  

Learning about the stars not only helps people learn directions but also helps Indigenous people discover their identity. Tipis and Telescopes combines western science with traditional Indigenous knowledge and gets students onto the land to learn.  

The three-day event had many sessions the students could participate in, including but not limited to: 

• Animal Processing 
• Archery 
• Art 
• Bottle Rockets 
• Drumming 
• Indigenous Games 
• Language Games 
• Medicine Bag and Traditional Medicines  
• Men’s, Women’s, and Two-Spirit Teachings 
• Star stories in the mobile planetarium

The first Tipis and Telescopes event was held in 2014. Many of the events were located on the outskirts of Winnipeg.