Memorial Tipi was placed on Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Shilo land on 3 November 2022 and the plaque was unveiled on 8 November 2022. The memorial honours Indigenous Veterans who have served the people of this land. The Tipi was erected by members of CFB Shilo in a public gathering and blessed by a local Elder.
It was designed by CFB Shilo’s Military Co-Chair of the Defence Aboriginal Advisory Group (Sergeant Leblanc), as well as Material Technicians on base who built it. The metal structure is a reminder of Indigenous cultures and healing, and is a way to represent Indigenous cultures in CFB Shilo and surrounding areas. The Tipi represents home, protection, community and a sacred place. Its colours were chosen from the medicine wheel teachings: yellow (east), red (south), black (west), white (north), blue (father sky), green (mother earth), and purple (self, center). They are associated with the four cardinal directions as well as the sky, earth and center. This reminds us that everything comes in fours: four seasons, four stages of life, four races of humanity and four cardinal directions.
