Native American Shelters

Plains

The Native Americans of the Plains lived in one of the most well known shelters, the Tepee ( also Tipi or Teepee). The Plains cultures adapted this basic structure because many of these people were hunters, so their houses had to be easily movable. The tepee was an ideal dwelling because it could hold up to the hot weather of the summer months, and the cool weather of the fall and winter months. These shelters were also very durable to the extreme winds which blew across the Plains from the west. The tepee was made up of a basic framework of three to four long poles and layers of animal skins covering the frame. These skins were often painted in bright colors to show the personalities of the people dwelling there. The Native Americans from the plains used anywhere from eight to twenty different animal skins to cover the outside of the tepee. The top of the tepee had a smoke hole which could be adjusted to retain heat and smoke or let it out.

The areas of domestication in the Plains tended to revolve around mobility. Housing for the Western Plains cultures consisted of easily built and dismantled bison skin tipis. Such lodgings allowed for greater mobility, which was of utmost importance for following the hunted game. These small encampments were most likely structured in a semi-circular fashion allowing for protection from animals and other dangers. Stone-ringed fire pits located near the center of the makeshift village offered a meeting place as well as a source of heat. Other smaller fire pits were located near or inside of the individual tipis allowing for individual cooking and drying.

Another form of housing and village life in the Eastern Plains cultures is that of earth homes made from sod and timbers. Most villages were located near or over looking rivers and streams and were permanent dwelling places for their inhabitants. Most of the houses were located relatively close to one another, again in a circular pattern. Many of the villages used protective barriers similar to the palisades of the Northeast and dry moats for protection from enemies. The Eastern Plains people incorporated gardening into their lifestyles. Crops such as corn, beans, and squash were raised near the village and stored in pits below the floors of the individual houses.