If You Build It…

KEVIN AND DONNA SUTTON AND GREG DAVIS FOLLOW AN INDIGENOUS VISION

By Brett Larson Inaajimowin Editor

After moving to a 70-acre hobby farm west of Hinckley three years ago, Kevin Sutton began to wonder what he could do to share his rural paradise with others. At first, he considered an RV park. “But it would’ve cost $250,000 just to lay the pipe!“ he said.

One morning, he was sipping his coffee on the patio under the eaves, and a vision appeared. “I looked across the field and saw teepees behind the trees,“ he said. “And then I heard a voice: ’If you build it, the people will come.’“

With help from his wife Donna and his first cousin Greg Davis, Kevin’s vision — which he calls “Gabayshiwin“ — has become a reality over the last year, and the first three teepees will be available to campers in July.

Kevin had a stroke two years ago and lost function on his right side, so he relies on Greg for the heavy lifting. He didn’t lose his sense of humor, however. Pointing a thumb at Greg, he says, “He’s my right-hand man.“

Both cousins are retired now, so they have plenty of time to spend on the campground. Kevin was a heavy equipment operator, and Greg, a veteran, was a tribal veterans’ service officer.

Greg also suffers from a service-related disability, a degenerative back problem, and recently had a back injury. “Last summer, we were barely able to do anything, but now this work has gotten me back into shape,“ said Greg.

In spite of the challenges, Greg and Kevin aren’t taking it easy during retirement, and they aren’t messing around. During the hot spell in June, they were hard at work. “We were moving kind of slow, but we were still out there,“ said Kevin.

Every step has been taken with precision and professionalism. In mid-June, a half dozen trucks were laying gravel on the road to the campsites. The campground was cleared, graded, and seeded, and a beautiful red pine fence surrounded the pond.

The campground is a mix of old and new. Portable toilets will be used, but water will come from a hand pump. Campers will have to park their cars a hundred yards from the teepees, but each teepee will have solar power and wifi. “People don’t want to go anywhere without Internet service,“ said Greg.

Each teepee is placed on a circle of pea gravel, bordered by paving stones. The poles — ordered from Montana — have been sanded, water sealed, and lightly burned for an attractive finish. The canvas is tight as a drum and has been painted by Donna with Native themes (wolves on the first, bears on the second, turtles on the third).

The first three — each one 14 feet in diameter — will be ready for rental first, with four more added soon, including an 18-footer that will allow for larger gatherings.

After that, Kevin will need to go back to the township board for a permit to add 10 more.

The solar power and restriction of vehicle traffic are part of a choice to be environmentally friendly. Although the guys will continue to hunt the property, it will be treated like a wildlife refuge.

They also envision hosting cultural activities and workshops on the site. Both men are avid netters, ricers, and sugar-makers.

Standing inside a teepee that he and Kevin had recently finished, Greg remembered the first teepee he helped set up with his we-enh Dave Matrious at the cultural grounds in Rutledge.

He looked with awe at the blue sky through the opening, remarking on the strength and beauty of the design. “Our ancestors were geniuses,“ he said.

And now, the Indigenous ingenuity that designed the first teepee is on display at a new campground west of Hinckley.