Native American Shelters

Subarctic and Arctic

The Native Americans of the arctic and subarctic usually did not have permanent shelters, rather they built temporary ones. The first of these temporary houses is the Snowhouse or Igloo. This type of shelter was used more in the arctic than in the subarctic. The first task of building a snowhouse was to find a layer of snow with a cohesive level. Once tthis was found, the snow was cleared and a circle from nine to fifteen feet in width was drawn. The person then stood in the circle and began to cut blocks of ice about two feet by two feet by four inches, then placed them along the bottom line of the circle. All of the next rows of ice were done the same way, except they were placed leaning towards the inside closer and closer to the top. While the person inside did this, a person on the outside of the circle placed snow on the walls and patted it down hard. After the last block of ice was laid in the center, the person inside cut a hole in the bottom of the shelter about two feet from the ground.

The second type of temporary shelter the Native American cultures of the arctic and subarctic lived in was the sod dwelling. The sod dwelling was typically used by members of cultures that lived in present day Alaska. These sod dwellings were domed shaped and built on a frame of driftwood or whale bone. This frame was then covered with layers of sod. These houses were partly built underground and consisted of one large room, for sleeping and eating. There was also a passageway used for storing materials and sometimes as a kitchen. These partly underground, sod layered houses provided the dwellers good protection from the environment. Light entered the inside of these sod dwellings through a hole cut in the wall, which was then covered with a clear piece of ice or animal intestine.  

Villages among the cultures of the arctic and subarctic peoples varied depending on the availability of resources. Some, in the subarctic regions, built sod houses which generally became permanent houses for its inhabitants. Others used pit houses and still others skin tents which were supported by whale ribs. Further north, the use of ice and snow in the form of igloos became a more efficient means of housing. Villages tended to be quite small to enhance mobility. Usually one individual was labeled the leader, and was depended upon to not only support his own family, but also the families of all those within the group. The leader was defined by his ability to hunt and bring home meat consistently. In many of the societies of the subarctic, an egalitarian relationship was adopted out of fear of individual supremacy. Much of the subsistence was derived from local animals such as deer, caribou, and birds, as well as seals and whales. Because of the harsh conditions, gardening was not an option and vegetation was limited to the short summer seasons. Villages were usually no more than small hunting bands thus limiting the existence of large intricate villages.