‘The teepee needs to stay:’ Camp returns to Wascana Park

The teepee is back up in Wascana Park across from the Saskatchewan Legislature.

On June 18, after 111 days, the Justice for Our Stolen Children Camp was evicted by Regina police, but because Thursday was National Indigenous People’s Day, the teepee went back up.

Robyn Pitawanakewat, a spokesperson for the camp, said people have been showing their support for the camp online, across Canada and around the world.

“We need to continue speaking about the stories we’ve heard. We need to continue being here where people can find us and that we have the support of a much larger community than we realized,” Pitawanakewat said.

The teepee was put up at around 7 p.m. and shortly after police could be seen in the area.

“We hoping, considering Chief Bray’s dedication to reconciliation and his vocal support of the camp today, that he will be only here to support us and not be sending out his officers to arrest people again,” Pitawanakewat said.

When the camp was removed on June 18, six people were arrested, but no charges were laid. Pitawanakewat said their conflict isn’t necessarily with police.

“We are here to stay as long as there is a need for us and there’s support to back that up.”

Pitawanakewat said it’s important for the camp to make it to Canada Day.

“There’s a lot of people stepping in now to support us in very tangible ways that we’ve never heard from before. There’s more support now than ever,” she said.

After an emotional week following the dismantling of the teepee, Pitawanakewat said there was a huge outpouring of support from the community and needing the teepee to come back.

“There’s been a lot of work that we’ve had to do in the last few days so the timing worked out ok, that we took a couple of steps back, reevaluated where we’re at, and if there’s the energy and support to continue going, and there absolutely is,” she said.

Now that the teepee is back up, the plan moving forward is to continue their work in their fight for justice.

“We’ll continue meeting daily with the group, and being here to hear the stories of all the family members who’ve lost their children to the justice system or to Child and Family Services or to violence,” Pitawanakewat said.

The fire is back burning in the teepee and there will be people around the clock at the camp.

“The teepee needs to stay.”