Drivers on the A38 can hardly have failed to notice a 'village' of very different tents which have sprung up in a field at the Trerulefoot roundabout in the past week.

The tents are in fact genuine Native American Indian tipis and the encampment is here for the Eclipse.

But although everyone will be having fun camping out in Cornish fields (and hopefully Cornish sunshine) there is a very serious purpose behind this campsite.

It is run by the UK branch of KOLA, an international group based in Belgium which raises money for the Lakota Native American Indians. Part of the Sioux nation the Lakota, like many other Native American groups, are desperately poor. KOLA also raises money for other North American Indian charities.

The Lakota live in North or South Dakota and lack many basic essentials - food, clothes, medicine. Even things as simple as toothbrushes and last year Cornish Times readers answered an appeal to collect toothbrushes. Over 100 were handed in to the office and were sent to the charity.

Funds raised pay for schools and other educational needs, and fund doctors and medical services.

Each year KOLA organises a camp in Weymouth, Dorset but this year they decided to come to Cornwall because of the eclipse.

People from all over the country come to these camps each year - and this year is very special because of the Eclipse.

The local organiser is Pauline Brooks, who lives at Trerulefoot, close to the site.

She has been busy setting up what is called Cornwall's Family Event and making sure the 30 plus tipis are in place.

The site opened on August 1 and will be there until August 27. The four man tipis can be hired by the night or for a week and the site is open daily to the public from 12 noon to 8pm. On Eclipse day the opening hours are from 9am to 8pm. Entrance is £2.50 for adults, £1 for children with under sevens free.

Visitors can see non professional entertainment daily, Native American children's games, visit many stalls with arts and crafts and watch educational video tapes from the USA. They can also look at the tipis and experience the Indian way of life by talking to many of the visiting tipi owners .

Some of the traditional Indian dances are taught and performed during the day.

'The event is intended to be education and to increase public awareness of the desperate plight of North American Indians', says Pauline. 'We also want to teach people about the lifestyle and beliefs of these gentle and much misrepresented people'.

The site is signposted at the Trerulefoot roundabout.