Tipi facts for kids
A tipi (also called tepee or teepee) is a special kind of tent. It has a cone shape. Native Americans of the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies in North America first made and used tipis. Even today, tipis are still used in many communities. However, they are mostly used for special ceremonies instead of everyday living.
Some people who are not Native American might think that all Native Americans in the United States and Indigenous peoples in Canada live in tipis. This is not true. Many Native American groups and First Nations from other areas used different kinds of homes. These homes include pueblos, wigwams, hogans, chickees, and longhouses.
Tipis are built using long poles. These poles are covered with material. A long time ago, people used animal skins or tree bark for the covering. Today, tipis are usually covered with cloth.
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What Makes a Tipi Special?
A tipi is different from other cone-shaped tents because it has special smoke flaps at the top. These flaps can be opened or closed. Tipis are very strong and useful. They keep people warm and cozy in winter. They also stay cool in the summer heat and dry during heavy rains.
People could take tipis apart and pack them up very quickly. This was important when people needed to move to a new place. They could also set up their tipis again very fast. This ability to move easily was important for Plains Indians. They often lived a nomadic lifestyle, meaning they moved from place to place to follow bison herds or find new resources.
Tribes would set up their camps in organized circles. Each family unit lived in its own tipi. The tipis were often arranged in a certain order based on family roles or importance in the community. Usually, the tipi door and the camp opening faced east, towards the rising sun.
A typical family tipi is a cone-shaped home that can be moved. It has two smoke flaps that can be adjusted. It also uses many poles, which are called lodge poles. Historically, these poles were about 12 to 25 feet (3.7 to 7.6 meters) long.
Lewis H. Morgan studied tipi frames. He noted that they used 13 to 15 poles. These poles were about 15 to 18 feet (4.6 to 5.5 meters) tall. The builders would tie the smaller ends of the poles together. Then, they would raise the poles upright and twist them so they crossed above the tie. The bottom ends of the poles were spread out to form a circle on the ground. This circle was about 10 feet (3 meters) wide. A covering of buffalo hides, sewn together, was stretched over the poles. This covering was then held down with stakes at the bottom.
Tipi Decorations
In the past, most tipis in a village were not painted. However, some tipis were painted to show important historical battles. They often had geometric shapes that looked like stars or other things in the sky. Animal designs were also common. Sometimes, tipis were painted to show personal experiences, like a war, a hunt, a dream, or a special vision.
Later, when Native Americans lived on reservations, some older warriors would paint on canvas tipis. They would show different events from their tribe's history, including battles with Americans. He Nupa Wanica (Joseph No Two Horns) was a Hunkpapa Lakota warrior. He fought in 40 battles, including the Battle of the Little Bighorn. He is known for his many tipi paintings, shields, and horse figures that are now in museums.
Native American Groups Who Used Tipis
Historically, the tipi was used by certain Indigenous peoples of the Plains. These groups lived in the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies of North America. Some of the well-known users include the seven tribes of the Sioux. Other groups were the Iowa people, the Otoe and Pawnee. The Blackfeet, Crow, Assiniboines, Arapaho, and Plains Cree also used tipis.
Tipis were also used west of the Rocky Mountains. This was by Indigenous peoples of the Plateau like the Yakama and the Cayuse.
Interesting Facts About Tipis
- The word tipi is a loanword. This means it came into English from the Dakota language and Lakota language.
- Modern tipis usually have a canvas covering instead of animal skins.
- In Canadian English, the spelling tipi is most common. In American English dictionaries, the spelling tepee is more common.
- The doorway of a tipi would generally face towards the rising sun.
- Tipis had special 'ears' or flaps. These could be opened and closed as needed during the summer and winter months to help with air flow.
Images for kids
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An Oglala Lakota tipi, 1891.
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Inside a Crow lodge from 1907. You can see the poles, outer skin, inner lining, and bedding.
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Examples of painted tipi covers from Paul Goble’s book, Tipi: Home of the Nomadic Buffalo Hunters, 2007.
See also
- Chum (tent), a similar structure used by various peoples from northwestern Siberia to northern Mongolia.
- Goahti, a somewhat similar structure used by the Sami people of northern Scandinavia.
- Lavvu, a conical tent covered with reindeer hides, used by the Sámi people of northern Scandinavia.
- Plains hide painting
