The+Wigwam+and+Wickiup+as+a+Function+of+the+Environment

Native American’s used a variety of different housing structures. It is clear that each structure has its own unique function, and with a little digging it is clear Native American’s knew what they were doing with their housing. Two such structures were the wickiup of the south and southwest and the wigwam of the east and north east. These two structures are true functions of the environment they inhabit. A wigwam and wickiup are both built in a similar fashion. First you draw a circle on the ground and make holes that will be the base of the structure. Next you must gather plenty of young saplings. Many different types of trees are used to make these structures, but we’ll discuss that in more detail later on. Now you place the saplings in the holes and bend them over to meet their designated opposites. After this you must place more saplings around the structure in hoops in order to increase the frames structure. Once you have the structure up you build your inner bedding and fire pit if you desire, and finally finish the completed structure with some type of roofing which differs from region to region. These structures are true testaments to the great adaptive qualities of the Native Americans. The land the Native’s inhabited had an incredible array of biomes, from blazing hot deserts to frigid, wintered forests. It is the vast diversity that caused the Natives to adjust their ways of life depending on where they lived. The wigwam and wickiup are true examples of how Native American housing truly depended on the resources available and the weather of the area. The wigwam for example is typically used to refer to these similar structures in the eastern and north eastern parts of current United States of America. The biomes in this area are the northern mixed forest, coastal plain mixed evergreen forest, and eastern deciduous forest. In general the weather in these biomes is cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Enter the wigwam which as stated earlier can be built with nearly any kind of tree sapling. For a roof the wigwam was often covered with heavy bark from any number of different species of trees, or since cattails are abundant almost all over these biomes those can be weaved together to provide a very sturdy and water tight roofing. The Apache tribe of the southwest also built wigwam like structures, however they referred to them as wickiups. The wickiup is built just like the wigwam, however the saplings that are used in the region are often of weaker quality, and the stability of the structure suffers. The roofing is also quite different, both because of available resources and because of temperate differences. This region is in the hot desert biome which calls for dry weather year round and temperatures dropping to a “mild” in the winter. This means shade is far more important than holding heat or keeping out rain, and thus the Apache often used simple shrub roofing aimed at accomplishing just that. How else does the wigwam and wickiup connect to their environments? The structures have the ability to maintain live fires within the structure by opening a whole in the top to vent smoke. This is incredibly useful for the eastern wigwams and for the Ute’s. It is also key to understand that wigwams and wickiups were not intended to be used to live inside like we live in our homes today. Since the biomes of which these structures reside are typically warm or mild during the day, the occupants can do their activities outdoors which decreases the need for more space inside a cramped wigwam or wickiup. Native American architecture deserves more credit than it often gets, and I have shown that with a structure as simple as a wigwam or wickiup. Even though the structure is simple to erect and basic in comparison to modern architecture it still deserves its own praise. The credit is the structures ability to morph from region to region to become the most useful and resourceful structures around which is a testament to the wigwam and wickiup as a function of its environment.  Works Cited "Apache Houses." //Apache//. 2008. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. . This site covers many different houses used by the Apache tribe, but I will only focus on the wickiup structure. Gathering many different direct sources on specific building practices is pivotal when trying to connect the structure to its environment which is why this site will be perfect for explaining the wickiup of the hot desert biome. Carr, Karen. "Ute Architecture - History for Kids!" //Kidipede - History for Kids - Homework Help for Middle School//. 3 Mar. 2011. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. . This source was written for a child audience, but that doesn't strip away from its usefulness. The site talks specifically about the wickiups used in Utah and Colorado. This is helpful because it provides another look at a specific example of how a similar structure differs from area to area because of the resources available. "Colorado Wickiup Project." //DARG - Dominquez Archaeological Research Group//. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. . This site is from a research groups page. It discusses an act in Colorado to document original architecture of the area, also known as the wickiup. The site provides a very useful look in how the wickiups are still standing up to th environment. Muma, Walter. "Shelter - Wigwam." //Wilderness Survival, Tracking, Nature, Wilderness Mind//. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. . This is a site about surviving in the "wildwood," and more specifically it covers the wigwam as it was built by the Ojibway. This site contains another example of how a wigwam can be built in order to make use of the best materials the environment gives you. "Native American Homes: Wigwams, Longhouses, Tepees, Lodges, and Other American Indian Houses." //Native American Language Net: Preserving and Promoting Indigenous American Indian Languages//. 2011. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. . This site is a fairly quant, however, it does provide useful information on the construction of wigwams. It also goes into a brief overview of why someone would have chosen to build a wigwam, which is a key part to my project. Although the site does not list a sponsor or author, the .org address provides a bit of security. "North American Forest Biomes - Coastal Plain Mixed Evergreen Forest." //The Complete Forests, Trees and Forestry Home Page//. 2011. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. . This site about the Coastal Plain Mixed Evergreen Forest biome is a brief but highly useful source. The site goes over alternative names, notable trees and plants, weather conditions, and growing season. This is a key component in connecting the Wigwam to the environment. The site is hosted by about.com which is a branch of the New York Times Company, so the information should be credible. "North American Forest Biomes - Eastern Deciduous Forest." //The Complete Forests, Trees and Forestry Home Page//. 2011. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. . This source comes from about.com, a branch of the New York Times Compnay, which should signify credibility. This site is about the Eastern Deciduous Forest biome which is one of the biomes the Native Americans who created the wigwam inhabited. The site covers alternative names, notable trees and plants, weather conditions, and the growing season. This information is crucial in tying together the wigwam and its environment. "North American Forest Biomes - Great Lakes / New England Mixed Forest." //The Complete Forests, Trees and Forestry Home Page//. 2011. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. . This site is hosted by about.com which is a branch of the New York Times Company. The site covers the Great Lakes/New England Mixed Forest biome. Of course wigwams were used in this biome which makes the site crucial in connecting the dotes between the wigwam structure and the environment. The site covers alternative names, notable trees and plants, weather conditions, and growing season. "North American Forest Biomes - Hot Desert." //The Complete Forests, Trees and Forestry Home Page//. 2011. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. . This article covers the Hot Desert biome which is the most interesting biome I will cover. This is because most biomes that wickiups or wigwams are built in contain vast amounts of trees, however some tribes like the Apache built wickiups in their desert lands also. This is a valuable testament to the wickiup and its environmental adaptiveness. The site is hosted by about.com a branch of the New York Times Company. "North American Forest Biomes - Pacific Coast Evergreen Forest." //The Complete Forests, Trees and Forestry Home Page//. 2011. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. . This site is about the Pacific Coast Evergreen Forest biome. It covers alternative names, notable trees and plants, weather conditions, and growing season. Wickiups were used in this area, so this source will be pivotal in connecting the structure to the environment. The site is hosted by about.com which is a branch of The New York Times Company. "North American Forest Biomes - Rocky Mountain Evergreen Forest." //The Complete Forests, Trees and Forestry Home Page//. 2011. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. . This source is hosted by about.com which is a branch of the New York Times Company. It covers the Rocky Mountain Evergreen Forest biome. Wickiups were used in this region, and thus it is very important to know the biome in order to connect it to the wickiup structure. The site covers alternative names, notable trees and plants, weather conditions, and growing season. Prindle, Tara. "NativeTech: Cattail Mats." //NativeTech: Native American Technology and Art//. 2011. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. . Part of the wigwam construction is the outer sheeting of the structure. This site goes through detailed steps with pictures on how to sew Cattail together into mats. The Cattail is an important resource, and learning how they used them is important to the project. This site is hosted by the same author as another of my sources, and the .org is a reassuring measure that the source is credible. Prindle, Tara. "NativeTech: Scenes from the Eastern Woodlands - Working inside Our Wigwam." //NativeTech: Native American Technology and Art//. 2011. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. . This source coming from the same branch of "NativeTech" sites is a great for knowing how the indigenous residents used the wigwam. Of course the way the wigwam was used is important in understanding how it connects with the residents surroundings. By providing a description of each of the residents duties we can get a better idea of how the residents used their available resources. Like the other "NativeTech" sources this article has a single author and a .org address. Prindle, Tara. "NativeTech: Wigwams - Basic Wigwam Construction." //NativeTech: Native American Technology and Art//. 2000. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. . Understanding how the Native Americans built the Wigwam is essential in connecting the wigwams construction to what resources are available to the Native Americans. This website does just that. With short paragraph after paragraph it takes you through detailed steps and pictures on how to make your own wigwam. The site lists a single author, but it does sport a .org address adding to my confidence in the site. Seeley, Ed. "RIVER CANE, PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE - August '04." //Welcome to Crooked Tree Farm//. Aug. 2004. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. . This source is an article specifically about river cane as a use in making a wickiup. It was originally published in 2004 in the Georgia CoHT Newsletter. The article calls on the author's own experiences in building a wickiup. It becomes useful to me because it illustrates how a wickup or wigwam is truly a function of the environment. Thornton, Richard. "Eastern Woodland Wigwam." //Access Genealogy: A Free Genealogy Resource//. 2010. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. <http://www.accessgenealogy.com/native/people/eastern_woodland_wigwam.htm>. This source covers the "Eastern Woodland Wigwam" as told by Richard Thornton. He gains credibility by being a part of the Muskogean scholars, professors and professionals. The site goes over why a wigwam is useful and what materials were typically used to build it. "USA Climate." //USA Visa, Visitor Visa, H1 Visa, Green Card, Visitor Medical Insurance//. 2011. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. <http://www.path2usa.com/usa-climate>. This source was created to aid those immigrating to the USA by supplying them with some weather summaries of the different regions. There is no reason to believe the source is not credible, and while applying my basic weather knowledge, it is clear the site is on point. I will be using the site so that I can connect the weather patterns to why the wigwam or wickiup was so useful. "Wickiup | Define Wickiup at Dictionary.com." //Dictionary.com | Free Online Dictionary for English Definitions//. 2011. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wickiup>. Although simply just a dictionary term, I believe it is always useful to know the definition as defined in the dictionary. This definition can be used in a number of ways throughout my project, and can be easily tied into the wickiups environmental persuasion. "Wigwam | Define Wigwam at Dictionary.com." //Dictionary.com | Free Online Dictionary for English Definitions//. 2011. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wigwam>. A definition of a word is always useful in a research project. In one of this size, it is even more useful as a definition is really the best way to describe a term. I can use this source in a number of ways in my project, and it can easily be used to connect the wigwam to its environment. "Wigwam." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. 03 Apr. 2011. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wigwam>. In my opinion Wikipedia is one of the best places to start a research project. I realize that it alone is not a viable source, however it serves as great general information. This specific Wikipedia site is titled "Wigwam". The site provides a brief over few of some types of Wigwams and and how they are structured. As a bonus the Wikipedia site provides multiple sources that are related to my topic.