Indian Residence: description and photo

The Indians had two kinds of dwellings, which distinguished them from other peoples - this is the tipi and the tepee. They have peculiarities peculiar to the people who used them. They are also adapted to the typical occupations of people and the environment.

To each according to his needs

The houses of nomads and settled tribes are different. The former prefer tents and huts, while for the latter, stationary buildings or semi-dugouts are more convenient. If we talk about the dwellings of hunters, then they often could see the skins of animals. North American Indians are a people, for which a large number of varieties of houses were characteristic. Each group had its own.

For example, Navajo preferred semi-earth. They created an adobe roof and a corridor called "hogan", through which it was possible to enter inside. Former residents of Florida built pile huts, and for nomadic tribes from the Subarctic the most convenient was the wigwam. In the colder seasons it was covered with a skin, and in a warm season - birch bark.

Scale and Strength

Iroquois built a framework of woody bark, which could last up to 15 years. Usually during this time the community lived near the selected fields. When the earth was worn out, there was relocation. These constructions were quite high. They could reach 25 meters in height. In connection with this, such dwellings were nicknamed long houses. The entrance here was located in the end part. Nearby was a picture depicting the totem of the family, an animal that protected and protected him. The Indian home was divided into several compartments, in each vein a pair forming a family. They all had their own hearths. For sleep, there were bunks near the walls.

Settlements of sedentary and nomadic type

The pueblo tribes built fortified houses of stones and bricks. The yard was surrounded by a semicircle or a circle of buildings. The Indian people built whole terraces on which the houses could be built in several tiers. The roof of one dwelling became a platform outside for another, located on top.

People who chose to live in the forest, built wigwams. This is a portable dwelling of Indians in the form of a dome. It was small in size. The height, as a rule, did not exceed 10 feet, however, up to thirty people were inside. Now such buildings are used for ritual purposes. It is very important not to confuse them with the tipi. For nomads, such a construction was quite convenient, as it did not have to make great efforts to build. And it was always possible to move the house to a new territory.

Design Features

During the construction, trunks were used, which bent well and were rather thin. To connect them, used a birch or birch bark, mats made of reeds or cane. Also came the leaves of corn and grass. The wigwam of the nomad was covered with a cloth or skin. So that they do not slip, use the frame from the outside, trunks or poles. The entrance hole was covered with a curtain. The walls were inclined and vertical. The layout is round or rectangular. To expand the building, it was pulled into the oval, making several holes for the exit of smoke. For the pyramidal shape, the installation of even poles is common, which are connected at the top.

A similar model

The dwelling of the Indians, like a tent, was nicknamed typede. He had poles, from which the skeleton was conical. For the formation of tires used bison skins. The hole from above was designed specifically to make the smoke from the fire go out into the street. During the rain, it was covered with a blade. The decoration of the walls served as pictures and signs, which meant belonging to this or that owner. Tipi really looks like a lot to the wigwam, because of what they are often confused. This type of construction of the Indian people used also quite often both in the North, both in the Southwest and the Far West, traditionally for the purposes of nomadism.

Dimensions

They were also built pyramidal or conical. The diameter of the base was up to 6 meters. The forming poles reached a length of 25 feet. The cover was made of rawhide. On average, 10 to 40 animals were killed to create the cover. When the North American Indians began to interact with the Europeans, trade commenced. They had a canvas that was more light. Both the skin and the fabric have their drawbacks, so often combined products were created. As fasteners used pins made of wood, from below with ropes the cover was attached to pegs sticking out of the ground. Especially for the movement of air a gap was left. As in the wigwam, there was a hole for the exit of smoke.

Useful devices

A distinctive feature is that there were valves that regulate the draft of air. To stretch them to the lower corners, used leather straps. This dwelling of the Indians was quite convenient. To it it was possible to attach a tent or one more such building that considerably expanded an internal area. From a strong wind defended the belt coming down from above, serving as an anchor. The walls were lined with a lining that had a width of up to 1.7 m. It kept the internal heat, protecting people from the external cold. During the rain, a semicircular shaped ceiling was stretched, which was called "the light".

Exploring the buildings of different tribes, you can see that each of them differs in some kind of its own, peculiar only to it. The number of poles is not the same. They connect in different ways. The pyramid formed by them can be either oblique or straight. The base is ovoid, round or oval. The tire is cut in many variants.

Other popular types of buildings

Another interesting dwelling of the Indians is a wikiap, which is also often identified with a wigwam. The construction in the form of a dome is a hut in which the Apaches mostly lived. It was covered with pieces of cloth and grass. They were often used for temporary purposes to hide. Covered with branches, mats, put on steppe outskirts. Athabaski, who inhabited Canada, preferred this kind of construction. It was excellent when the army moved forward and needed a temporary place to stay and hide itself and hide the fire.

Navajo settled in hogans. And also in summer houses and dugouts. The hogan has a round section, the walls form a cone. Often there are also square designs of this kind. The door was located in the eastern part: it was believed that the sun brings luck into the house through it. Also, the building has a great cult significance. There is a legend that tells that the hogan was first built in the spirit of a coyote. He was helped by beavers. They were engaged in the construction in order to provide housing for the first people. In the middle of the five-pointed pyramid was a fork pole. The faces had three corners. The space between the beams filled the ground. The walls were so dense and strong that they could effectively protect people from the winter weather.

In front was the lobby, where religious ceremonies were held. Residential buildings were large. In the twentieth century, the Navajo began to build buildings with 6 and 8 corners. This is due to the fact that in the vicinity of them the railway operated. It was possible to get sleepers and use them in construction. There was more room and space, although the house was quite tight. In a word, the habitats of the Indians are quite diverse, but each of them fulfilled the functions assigned to it.