Situated a short distance off the Trans Canada Highway in Medicine Hat is the world's largest teepee, the Saamis teepee.
Designed by Steve Illes and originally constructed for the 1988 Winter Olympics, the Saamis Teepee was moved to Medicine Hat after the games. It now overlooks an ancient buffalo jump used for thousands of years. An ancient battle took place in the area between the Blackfoot & Cree first nations. This roadside monument is a tribute to the first nation heritage in southern Alberta.
The word Saamis is Blackfoot Indian for the eagle tail headdress, a hat worn by the medicine man of the tribe. The Saamis teepee is 65 meters / 215 feet high (over 20 stories) and has a diameter of 48.8 m/ 160 feet at the base. It weighs an astounding 200 tonnes / 440, 800 lbs. The Saamis teepee sits on a concrete base and was mounted at this location in 1991.
The world's largest teepee was built to withstand the gale-force winds of southern Alberta (up to 240 km/hr) and extreme temperature ranges from -45 C to +45 C. In January 2007, a winter windstorm damaged the top portion of the giant teepee. After repairs were done, it stands 15 feet (4.6 m) shorter.
Around the outside of the teepee are several round storyboards. In order to find the cache, take the number of these shields
An Information Centre is very close by, if you wish to stop and pick up information about this area.
Cache is located at N50 00.77A W110 41.42B
A = The number of shields on the teepee walls minus 4
B = The dedication day on the plaque at the front of the teepee minus 6