The Tepee By Miss Weaver

What is a tepee? The tepee was the home of each Native American family. It was a tent with a frame of wooden poles arranged in a circle.

Shape and size Tepees were usually about 3 m (10 ft) high and 4.5 m (15 ft) across at ground level. A flap covered the low slit entrance to the tepee, and hide was also spread on the floor as insulation against the cold.

Who made the Tepee ? Tepee-making was the job of the women. it required hard work and great skill. Buffalo hides had to be scraped and stretched. Then, they had to be carefully cut and sewn together. On average , a tepee needed 18-20 hides.

Inside the Tepee In the centre of the tepee was the fire, which was used to cook and boil water , and to heat the tepee in the winter. The smoke from the fire went through a hole in the top. There were flags which the Indians adjusted according to the direction of the wind , so that smoke could blow away.

The Tepee They decorated their tepees inside and out with brightly coloured paintings of animals and birds, or with geometric designs. They put rugs in the floor, on top of these they put comfortable cushions made of skins and stuffed with soft filling.

Mobile! The Plains Indians needed to follow the herds of buffalo which roamed the plains, so the tepee had to be taken down frequently and put again in a the new settlement.

Travois They used TRAVOIS to carry all their possessions. These were made up of two tepee poles, joined at the horses’ shoulders , with the ends trailing on the ground. In the middle of the nets the put a frame for carrying the rest of their belongings.

The tribes move on, to seek buffalo People who move on from place to place are called NOMADS

Tepees made up a whole village of the Indian tribes