If you’re familiar with Native Americans, you have seen them before. Those conical structures that have a myriad of wooden poles sticking out of the top of them.

You might have seen them in that classic cowboys and Indians movie from the black-and-white era of Hollywood. Or you might live close to a real reservation where you have seen them dot the countryside.

I am talking about tipis, of course. In the olden days, this was the premier housing unit that was used by the Native Americans of the Plains and other areas of the United States.

Even today, you can see the tipi in use by Native American tribes. Most families may not live in them, but they still build and occasionally showcase them to show pride for their ancestral heritage.

Why did the Indians use such an eccentric structure? Here are some insights into why this peculiar style of home was so useful to those who lived on the Plains and other areas.

First, the Indians were able to cook their food in their homes. Tipis were big enough that you could start a small fire in the middle of the structure.

You might be wondering how the tipi wouldn’t fill up with smoke and be harmful to the residents. This is where the top of the tipi comes in handy.

There is a big enough hole in the top of the structure that the smoke can exit out of the top. There are also two adjustable flaps that are set Brand Levitra at right angles to the wind so that it can stay out of the tipi.

Another big advantage of the tipi was that it was durable. Usually, tough bison skin would be used to make the cover.

In addition to being very durable, the bison skin presented other great benefits to the Native Americans. It worked in nearly all the different types of weathers and seasons.

For many tribes, their life was nomadic, which meant that they had to be exposed to the harsh elements in the winter months while they were traveling from one site to another. Tipis gave them the added protection that they needed and prevented many deaths from hypothermia or other weather-related illnesses.

The people could go to their tipis during the winter months, close the flaps, and make a small fire that would radiate heat throughout the structure and bring warmth and comfort to everybody that was in it.

The cover was durable and thick enough that much of the heat would stay in and stay there for an extended period of time. It could even be useful in extreme cold weather.

When extreme low temperatures would hit the tribes, they could stuff the lining with different types of grasses. This gave more padding and insulation that made it easier for heat to stay in, and cold to stay out.

They were also beneficial during the rainy season. Much of the time, these homes housed whole families and many of the supplies that the tribes used.

Just think of the damage that a heavy rain could do to the things inside of a structure if it did not work properly. This thought is why the Native Americans went to such great lengths to make sure this did not happen.

The covers were so durable and thick that they could stay dry during even the worst of rainstorms. This could protect everything that was in the structure.

Finally, the structure helped keep heat out during the summertime. This might be surprising because you might think a thick bison skin enclosed in a small space would trap heat even in the summertime and smother residents.

The answer is quite the contrary. If it was very hot on the Plains or in other areas of the country, they could roll up the cover a couple feet from the bottom.

This could let a draft in that could help with ventilation and make it cooler. It would do this while still protecting the residents from other elements from above.

These are only some of the uses that this great home provided for the Native Americans. Check out more cool information about what the Native American made to make their lives easier-such things as moccasins or the clothing that they wore!

Author Bio: Jack R. Landry is Tadacip a fashion designer who has been in the industry since 1992. He specializes in designing shoes, shoe accessories and moccasin.

Contact Info:
Jack R. Landry
JackRLandry@gmail.com
http://www.TheMoccasinShop.com

Category: Culture and Society/Humanities
Keywords: moccasin