Ute teepee setup

Buffalo hide was thicker and stronger than other hides. The Utes, who lived in the Rocky Mountains, killed fewer buffalo. Instead of buffalo hides, they used elk skins for their tipis. The tipi would require elk hides. The hides were sewn together with thread made of sinew. Tipi hides were tanned and greased to make them waterproof. Indeed, they are as comfortable as they could wish to be. I moved from a lodge into a comfortable log house, but again returned to the lodge, which I found much more pleasant.

The tepee in this village has a tripod in front made of three short poles. Indians placed blankets and other things on tripods like this one to keep them off the ground. Photo: Colorado Historical Society. The Cheyenne and Arapaho also used tripods to set up their tipis. The first step was to tie 3 strong poles together to make a tripod.

The Utes used 4 poles. The tripod held up the other 8 or more poles that were leaned up against it. Then the hide cover was stretched over the poles and staked down at the bottom. This tepee belonged to Little Raven, an Arapaho chief. The decorations on the sides show important events in his life. The objects in front are his war shield hanging on a spear and a coup stick that he carried into battle with him.

A traveler on the plains could identify an Indian tribe by its tipis. The tipis of each tribe were made in a slightly different way. The Cheyenne tipis were "white as linen," while those of other tribes were darker.

Burial Mysteries Utes were often buried in rock crevices or caves with rocks covering the spot. Many personal possessions to be used in the afterlife were buried with the bodies. Some items were given away as gifts while other possessions, even the lodge, were destroyed. Beaded Crafts The use of beads is a mainstay of Ute crafts. Beading is traditionally the work of female Ute artisans, and can apply to a wide array of items.

Aboriginal people honoured and disposed of their dead in many different ways. The dead were usually buried in the ground, sometimes accompanied by possessions such as stone tools or personal ornaments. In some areas, special clothes were made for the deceased. Last Updated: January 10, References.

To create this article, 33 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed , times. Learn more A traditional plains teepee also spelled tipi is a roomy and durable structure, big enough to house a fire and several people comfortably. If you want to build a teepee for recreation, novelty, or because you want to live in an alternative structure, read on to find out where to start.

If you want to make a teepee, gather a piece of canvas that's about 15 x 30 feet and 12 lodge poles that are at least 3 feet longer than the width of the canvas.

Make sure you have at least 45 feet of natural-fiber rope on hand for securing the poles, and cut the canvas into a teepee pattern. To make the frame, lay three poles on the ground in the shape of a tripod, with 2 poles next to each other and one crossing them. Tie the poles together with a clove hitch, and raise the teepee so you can add more poles.

Once all of your poles are in place, wrap the rope around the top and put the cover on the structure. For tips on fitting the cover and securing it in place, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet?

Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow.

Download Article Explore this Article parts. Things You'll Need. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. All rights reserved. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc. Get some canvas. Traditionally, teepees were made from tanned buffalo or deer hides, which were water resistant and pliable.

Since buffalo skin is relatively difficult to acquire nowadays, most modern teepees are made using canvas. Smaller teepees are difficult to manage fires in, so if you're going to build one, you might as well build one of significant size. For a comfortably-sized teepee, you'll want a piece of canvas roughly 15 x 30 feet. Prepare some lodge poles. The two basic requirements for the teepee are some kind of covering the canvas and poles, about three feet longer than the width of the covering canvas.

The smoother the better, they're ideally several inches thick and made from lodge pole pine. The easiest way to acquire these poles is to buy them commercially. Felling wood is also an option, but you need to make sure that you're harvesting legal wood, which can be a tricky proposition.

To be safe, buy them from a dealer to ensure that they're sturdy and legal. This will ensure that your poles will be protected against the elements and will last for many years.

Cut the teepee pattern from the canvas. If you don't have a pre-cut canvas made for a teepee, you'll need to cut your own from the canvas. Tracing a pattern onto the canvas first is the best idea, but the basic cut is a semi-circle half as wide as it is long, with notches cut toward each end on the flat side of the semi-circle, and with flaps cut from the middle of the flat side, for use as "smoke flaps," and a hole for the door.

Get 45 feet Synthetic rope is not a good idea for building teepees, because it has trouble gripping the poles like natural ropes, causing slippage.

It's also good to have about stakes for staking the bottom of the canvas to the ground, as well as the materials to make a fire.

If you want an authentic teepee, get some porcupine quills or other long pins to fix the open part of the canvas covering when you assemble it. Part 2. Lay out the tripod. The teepee starts by fashioning a simple tripod with three of your poles. Lay two both flat on the ground, right next to each other and lay another across them, creating an acute angle at the top of about 30 degrees.