About Tipis

Tipis have long been associated with the American Indians. The conical shape is easily recognizable and has been used by American Indians for centuries. However, when tipis were first used, is lost to history. Over the years, various tribes have made changes to designs or the coverings of tipis. Even with the various changes, tipis are still recognizable. The word tipi can also be spelled as tepee, teepee or tepe.

Why Indians Used Tipis

Tipis have been made out of animal skins, birch bark and canvas. The design has proven itself durable. It stays cool in the summer and holds warmth in the winter. It is durable and many of the designs are portable. This was particularly important to the nomadic Plains Indians. The tipis provided shelter on the open plains where it was otherwise sparse.

Tipi Basics

Tipi is a Lakota Sioux word that mean "house." A tipi will have four things: 15 to 20 sapling poles; an outer covering generally made from animal skins; an inner covering also generally made from animal skins; and a skin door. Ropes and pegs are used to hold the tipi to the ground and connect the poles at the top. Besides the conical design, tipis are also marked by the smoke hole at the top of the tipi that allows smoke from cooking fires inside to escape.

Portability of a Tipi

When moving, the tipi poles could form a travois and the coverings could be piled on it. A horse could then easily transport the entire tipi. This portability was important to the Plains Indians who needed to follow game herds, particularly bison, to survive.

Tipi Decoration

While most tipis weren't decorated, those that were tended to have a purpose. Some depicted personal experiences of the inhabitants, similar to the way prehistoric people used cave paintings to tell their stories. Others would be adorned with tribal symbols.

Building a Tipi

Construction of a tipi begins by tying together three of the poles and spreading the bases of the poles out to form the base of the tipi. The additional poles are then added to the tripod of poles to form the circular shell of the tipi. The poles are tied together at the top. The outer covering is then placed on the frame of poles. The interior covering can then be tied to the interior frame and the door pinned to the covering. Finally, the bottom edge of the exterior covering is attached to the ground with pegs.

Resources

• Tipis: Information