How to Make Cheyenne Teepees

Cheyenne Tipi

For hundreds of years, the America- Indians were the sole inhabitants of the North American continent. Adapting to their surroundings, the various Indian cultures developed different methods of housing, and means of survival, depending on the environment in which they lived. The plains Indians, nomads who hunted for their subsistence, developed a perfect housing structure for their way of life: the teepee or tipi. This structure was lightweight, yet durable, easily taken down and put up, and portable. This article will give you some tips on how to make a tipi in the Cheyenne fashion.

Things You'll Need

• * Canvas
• * Sewing Machine
• * Threads
• * Paper And Pencil
• * 14 to 16 foot poles, pine preferred
• * Rope
• * Tent Stakes
• * Grommet-setting Tool And Grommets
• * Ladder

Instructions

How to make a Cheyenne Tipi

1. Purchase and gather your materials. For a 12 foot circumference tipi you will need approximately 24 yards of of canvas, be sure the canvas is treated for outdoor use. Poles should taper from thick at the bottom to narrow at the top and should be solid wood. Pine is preferred because of its flexibility and lightness to carry. You will need a minimum of 14 poles.

2. Lay out your poles on the ground in a circular shape, with the narrow ends at the top. Choose the three strongest poles, and take a 32 foot length of rope and tie these three at their tops. Pull the poles upright into a standing tripod. The loose end of the rope should be hanging down from the middle. The diameter of the tipi at the bottom of your tripod will be around 32 feet.

3. Raise all your remaining poles one by one, stacking them in a circular pattern around the three standing poles. Lay them neatly and as evenly as possible, as these are serving as your frame. Take the loose end of the rope you have hanging down and walk around the tipi in a clockwise fashion, jerking the rope tight at the top as you move, tightening the poles at the top.

4. Measure the circumference of the top of your tipi where all the poles are tied together. Take this number, divide it by six, and add 2-3 inches. Be sure and write these measurements down as you will need them to cut your pattern.

5. Cut six triangular pieces of canvas, the bottom of each piece should be 64 inches wide and taper to the measurement you just took in the above step. Sew each of these pieces together, one at a time, to form on long piece of material. Do not sew it into a cone shape.

6. Sew your grommets into the edges of your material, this will serve as your door. You will need to place a grommet approximately 8 inches from the bottom and top, then sew in grommets at roughly two feet apart. Be certain your grommets line up, or you will be in trouble when you go to secure them.

7. Cut canvas ties that are a minimum of one inch wide and twenty two inches long. These will be used to secure your grommets once you have erected your tipi.

8. Raise your tipi cover onto the poles. It will take some stretching and pulling, but if you have done your measurements, you should have a good clean fit. Remember, you can adjust the poles to make the tipi wider or smaller to some extent to accommodate any variations. Run your canvas ties through your grommets, and pull tight.

9. Decorate your tipi with paintings and other traditional methods. Cheyenne Indians would often have gaily painted tipis, and would have feathers or ribbons hanging from the top poles. Sometimes they would even have a long string of deer hooves tied from a rope at the top - to make a sort of wind chime.

Tips & Warnings

• Take the time to do your homework and get the proper measurements and materials

• Be careful when lifting the poles into tripod shape, as one can easily fall on you. It is best to have help when attempting this project.

References

• Making a teepee

Resources

• Tipi Information