Tipis
Before the Europeans colonized the continental United States there was a native group of people call Native Americans or Indians (as Columbus called them.) These people lived life in a much different way than people today. One difference was their housing. The shelters for Native Americans were called tipis. They were perfect for the lifestyle of Native Americans because these people were very “in tune with nature.” Tipis consisted of three main parts. There was the main support, which were several long, wooden posts that made the main shape of the tipis. These poles were made from certain trees that grew near rivers. They were fashioned into long, straight supports to hold up the shell of the tipi. The shell, or lining, of the tipi was made of animal hides, or skins. Generally the covering was made of buffalo hide. The Native Americans went through a long process to make the skins into a perfect outer lining for their tipis. Smoking them weatherproofed the hides. Sharp, wooden pins connected the seams of the hides. Both these and many more materials made a tipi, a tipi.
The construction of a tipi was an interesting process. The family and neighboring families planned, oversaw, and completed the building process. The first part of the long process involved putting up three or four main support columns. These first columns would be larger and stronger than the other poles. The other poles were smaller but there were many more of them. When both sets of poles were put up the base would form a circle and narrow out at the top. Just like and upside down ice cream cone. After the second set of poles was laid on the first poles the women of the family and neighboring women would make an outer covering. The outer, weatherproof lining was created out of fourteen or more buffalo hides depending on how large the tipi was. The men painted the covering and then it was put on the pilings. On some tipis there was an inner lining made out softer animal skins. The inside layer would be made even softer by soaking the hides in water. This inner layer worked as modern insulation does in houses today. It also gave the Native Americans something soft to lean and sit on. These steps affected the way the Native Americans lived. It also was how they liked to live.
The outer covering of the Native American tipis or homes was painted. They covered the outside of their shelters in shapes, animals and things they saw in nature. The designs and pictures were first outlined in charcoal to give the paintings their shape. They were then filled in with bright colors. All of the paints that Native Americans used were all made from earthly thing like algae, ground rocks, plants, and dung. When Europeans brought factory made paints over they became highly prized among the Native American communities. The animals painted include buffalo, antelope, deer, and other animals found in the area around where the tipi was built. The pictures would usually not be that detailed and were meant to symbolize things not recreate them. The paintings usually symbolized something that related to the family that lived inside the tipi. The men of the family would paint the tipi and then leave it to the women to place the covering in the wooden pilings. The Native Americans would also put patterns at the top of the tipi. In some communities only some of the tipis would be painted. The chief’s tipi was usually decorated and painted the most because he holds the highest power. The tipi painting was a very important part of the Native American homes and meant a lot to the people themselves.
Living in tipis was much different than living in houses today. Instead of electric and gas heated houses, the Native Americans used fire to heat the tipis. Where we use light bulbs for light the Natives used a fire in the middle of the tipi to light their shelter. The whole family would sleep in one tipi. Chairs and sitting spots were made of willow. The Native Americans also leaned on the soft inner covering of their tipis. The women in the family cooked just outside of the tipi in fireplaces. Some families, in colder regions lived in tipis only in the winter because of the lack of insulation. Others lived in them year round. Living in a tipi required a place to get clean water because there were no pipes connected to the living space. It also required a lot of perseverance, because it was hard to be away from the things we take for granted. Things including television, internet, refrigerators, telephones, and pretty much any thing involving electricity and cords were all virtually impossible to have in a tipi. The Native Americans chose to live in tipis because they liked always being close to nature and their fellow tribe members. The living style of living in a tipi was perfect for the Native Americans. The only reason Native Americans moved out of tipis is because it became hard for them to live their old life style.
Tipis are rarely used as primary housing for Native Americans today. The Natives began leaving their shelters after Americans forced them onto reservations. Reservations are a set piece of land put aside for the Native Americans to live on. It goes by its own laws, and is not connected to the U.S. government. The land given to the Native Americans is usually not the best. In many spots around the United States they are swampy and bad for farming. Native American reservations are famous for fire works and casinos. Both are illegal in the U.S. Tipis are often used in
pow-wows. Pow-wows are Native American parties. Natives dance and feasts occur at these celebrations. Tipis at these parties are used to set a happy and festive mood. They are also used to take Native Americans back to the days when they roamed the plains hunting buffalo. Many parks across the Mid-West have tipis in them as monuments, to remind people of how Native Americans used to live and what they lived in. Tipis were truly remarkable structures and it is a shame that the Native Americans have stopped using them as their primary housing.
