A Tipi was erected today at Fort la Reine Museum in Portage la Prairie in preparation of Aboriginal Day next week.

The Museum and Portage Friendship Centre have partnered to host Aboriginal day at the museum, and Friendship Centre Executive Director Shirley Bernard is pleased with the collaboration.

Bernard (right) chatting with volunteers

"We always work together, and it's both organizations. I think we maybe have 50 or more people here, so that's awesome. Some people can't afford the little extras, so Tracy's always open when we do something here. She's got everything open, people can come in and do their volunteer work, then they get a recognition for it like getting to explore the museum. It's awesome."

Museum Curator Tracy Turner calls it a unifying experience.

"For me it's really special. It's a unifying experience for us to do all together. What I always sense is the community and the cooperation in putting it up, and it's quite symbolic of us coming together. The cool thing was I tweeted out there, that it takes a village to raise a tepee, and we've got a lot of folks that have showed up today to take part in a collective experience, and that's really neat."

Turner (right) with volunteers

Bernard adds it's really special when the two organizations collaborate to get things done. Volunteers were treated to a tour of Fort la Reine, and a free bannock picnicc.