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Each culture area had their type of home. Indians used the natural resources around them to make their homes. If they lived in or near the forests, they would use wood for their homes. This is why different cultures of Indians had different types of homes. Below are different types of Indian homes and descriptions of each.
The Indians in the Northwest Culture lived in wooden lodges. These buildings were rectangular and in each one of them several families lived. They had a wooden frame, which was covered with pieces of bark sewn together or wooden planks, or boards. Inside the building there was a pit in the middle, which had a fire in it to be used for cooking. Outside each wooden lodge there was a totem pole.
The Indians of the California-Intermountain
Culture lived in circular homes of arched poles covered with brush and mat.
This type of home was used for a short time when the Indians were hunting. This
type of home was called a wickiup
home.
The Indians of the Southwest Culture lived in apartment-style buildings. These buildings were made of clay and vegetables dried in the sun. This type of home was especially good for areas that had very little rainfall and a hot desert climate. Many families lived in each apartment. As families grew, rooms were added on top of the rooms that were already there.
The tepee was the home of the Plains Indians. The frame of the tepee was made of long wooden poles pointed together and fastened at the top. The bottoms were spread out to form a circle. This was covered with a tent of animal skins, which was fastened to the ground. These Indians would often paint decorations on the outside of the teepee.
The homes of the Eastern Woodland Indians were called longhouses. Like the homes of the Northwest Culture, these were rectangular homes with barrel shaped roofs. As their name states, these homes were very long. The outsides of these homes were made of wooden frames with bark sewn together to cover them. Families shared these homes also.
Click on the Cultures to find more.
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