Museum Entrance

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Museum of Native American Dwellings
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Museum Curator
Northeast
Southwest
Welcome to the Museum of Native American Dwellings
Present Day
Northwest
Plains
Exit
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Museum Entrance
Northeast Dwellings
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Room 3
Northwest Dwellings
To Entrance
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Room 4
Plains Dwellings
Entrance
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Room 2
Southwest Dwellings
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Room 2
Present Day
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Northeast Longhouse

• Longhouses were designed to hold a number of
  families who lived communally. Each families had
  separate fires and sleeping areas. Inside a
  crackling fire would be vented with holes in the
  ceiling to allow smoke to escape. A typical
  longhouse would be approximately 50 feet long.
• When researching this particular style of Native
  dwelling I came across a great teacher resource.
  The following URL leads to a page on constructing
  a longhouse in the classroom.
• http//www.scott.k12.va.us/martha2/longhouseactivi
  ty.htm
• I have included this style home because it was
  found throughout the Northeast region of Native
  settlements.

Image acquired at http//www.scott.k12.va.us/mart
ha2/longhouses.htm
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Typical Longhouse Style Village

• In large Native American villages of the
  Northeast longhouses were often found in rows.
  Much like our communities of today. These
  communities were surrounded by a fence to keep
  out unwanted guests and predators. These housing
  styles not only protected the peoples of a
  village but also protected crops. Villages were
  often moved according to the fertility of the
  lands around them. One longhouse often held up
  to several hundred people. These homes were
  especially popular with the Iroquois in New York
  and Ontario.
• I have included this picture to show the sense
  and style of community living various tribes have
  used since the prehistoric times.

Image acquired at http//www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/pre
history/settlements/regions/northeast.html
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Northeastern Wigwam

• The Wampanoag and other tribes of the Northeast
  constructed wigwams as shelter for their families
  and tribes. The curved structure helps to
  protect against harsh weather. The structures
  are made out of bent branches, the sides and
  roofs were often covered with stripped bark from
  trees. Inside the home planks are laid on the
  floor which are covered with pelts for comfort.
  The curved structure made the home as safe and
  warm as a colonial style home.
• I have included this structure in my museum
  because vast numbers of tribes used this style
  structure both in pre and post colonial times.

Image acquired at http//www.mayflowerhistory.com
/History/indians5.php
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11
Plimoth Plantation

• I have included this depiction because I think it
  is a wonderful teaching tool. The dwelling is
  part of a virtual tour of what it is believed to
  have been like in Plymouth in 1627.
• This dwelling was typical of a home of Plymouth
  area Natives. It is constructed using long
  grasses. The long grasses helped to keep warmth
  in during the bitter winters of the Northeast
  region. It was used by the Wampanoag Natives.

Image acquired at http//gonewengland.about.com/l
ibrary/blplimoth9.htm
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Southwest Pueblo

• In the southwest many Native Americans
  constructed pueblos as dwellings for their
  tribes. These structures were made from a
  mixture of baked clay and straw called adobe.
  These dwellings were perhaps the most permanent
  of any Native dwellings found in America. One
  single dwelling could house hundreds of people.
  Many of the prehistoric examples of these
  dwellings are studied by archeologists.
• I have included this dwelling in my collection
  because it is one of the oldest known forms of
  dwellings present in America.

Image acquired at http//www.culturecorner.org/No
v-19-05.html
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13
Anasazi Ruins

• The Anasazi were often found in the cliff areas
  of the Southwest United States. The picture
  shown is of ruins discovered in the southwest
  corner of what is now known as Colorado. These
  ruins often date back to before the thirteenth
  century. Many tribes of the southwest built
  structures similar to this to help keep out the
  intense heat of the region. The dwellings were
  made of sun baked clay.
• Although many of the tribes of the southwest
  disappeared before the settlers arrived, they are
  a very important part to our countrys history.

Image acquired at http//www.desertusa.com/ind1/i
nd_new/ind21.html
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Cliff Dwellers

• Cliff dwellings were formed by cutting niches
  into niches or caves in high places. These
  dwellings can be found throughout the cliff areas
  of the southwest. The dwellings which have been
  discovered are sometimes as high as thousands of
  feet. The dwellings contain dozens and sometimes
  hundreds of rooms.
• Cliff dweller tribes were a important part of the
  history of the southwest. Used by various tribes
  as homes throughout history. Many of these
  dwellings have now become tourist attractions.

Image acquired at http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cl
iff_dwelling
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Building of Pueblos

• I have included this wonderful depiction of
  creation of a pueblo in my gallery as part of the
  historical importance of contributions the Native
  Americans made to modern society. The Anasazi
  and Pueblo natives used masonry to create their
  dwellings.
• These dwellings were built into cliffs, utilizing
  the tops of caves as roofs. Doorways were carved
  out to allow relations to access other families
  within the complex. Wooden or bone ladders were
  used to reach upper and lower levels. Ceremonial
  chambers were reached in the same way. A complex
  network of homes made up a urban style dwelling
  much like our dwellings in the present time.

Image acquired at http//www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/pre
history/settlements/regions/southwest.html
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Chinook Winter Lodge

• The depiction shown is of a Chinook winter lodge
  located in Oregon. These shelters were used
  during the winter months on the river banks. The
  houses were built from cedar planks and were
  20-50 in length. The interesting thing about
  these lodges was the fact that they were built
  over excavation holes as to keep the lodges as
  warm as possible in the cold Northwest winters.
  The lodges were partitioned to hold many
  families. Tule mats were used for sleeping.
• I have included this in my collection to show the
  struggles and victories the Natives had to endure
  in different regions.

Image acquired at http//www.ohs.org/education/or
egonhistory/historical_records/dspDocument.cfm?doc
_IDA8B9F4B2-FC2E-234F-D15D645E0D0AD979
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Northwest Native Lodge

• Used in the cold Northwest climate, Native homes
  began to take on the appearance of Europeans
  settler lodges. These homes were well
  constructed to keep out the bitter winter
  weather. Some were made in a large rectangular
  shape to house many families, while examples such
  as the one shown were made for the leaders
  family. The posts of these homes were often
  carved with Native scenes. Large totem poles
  could also be found in front of the dwellings.
• I included this depiction to show the change that
  Native housing began to go through after the
  Europeans arrived and influenced their culture.

Image acquired at http//www.mce.k12tn.net/indian
s/teaching/reading.htm
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Open Dwelling

• In the cold Northwest winters some dwellings did
  little to protect. This picture depicts a older
  Native woman and child who looks like they are
  struggling to find shelter. This dwelling may
  have been found in North California. The open
  dwelling shown does little to protect its
  inhabitants.
• I have included this picture to show the struggle
  against the elements the Natives had to survive.

Image acquired at http//www.gutenberg.org/files/
14881/14881-h/14881-h.htm
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Pomo Indian Diorama

• I included this picture of a diorama to show the
  everyday life in a Pomo Indian village. It also
  depicts the style of housing found in the area.
• This diorama portrays typical life in a village.
  The young woman sits and weaves a basket while
  the young man gets his fish trap ready. This
  scene is believed to be typical of the Pomo
  Indians 1500 years ago. I also notice that the
  dwelling behind did not change much in the over
  1000 year period up to the European arrival.

Image acquired at http//www.websandsuch.com/clsp
ia/interpretivecenter.htm
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Comanche Camp

• This painting by George Catlin was done in 1834.
  This painting depicts a typical Comanche village
  of the time. The teepee style dwellings were
  typical of the area. The teepee was built tall
  with an opening in the top for smoke to escape.
  Teepees were often shown with designs indicative
  of the tribe they were used by.
• I included this painting because I love the way
  the Natives are shown intermingling in everyday
  life.

Image acquired at http//www.greatdreams.com/nati
ve/nativehsg.htm
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Plains Teepees

• Throughout the Plains area teepees were the
  preferred home of Native Americans. Most of
  these dwellings were made using deer, elk and
  buffalo skins. Wooden poles were used to support
  the structures. After the Europeans arrived many
  teepees were constructed using canvas material
  instead of the much sought after animal skins.
• I have included this in my Museum because it is
  the most recognizable of all Native dwelling of
  the time.

Image acquired at http//www.hud.gov/local/shared
/working/r10/nwonap/longhouse.cfm?statewa
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Wichita Grass Lodge

• I found this diorama of a grass lodge in a great
  teacher resource page for Kansas teachers. I
  thought it would lend nicely to the Plains
  dwellings in my museum.
• These homes were found throughout the Plains
  area, but mostly in Kansas. They were homes to
  the Wichita Natives. These dwellings were made
  from the tall grasses found throughout the area.

Image acquired at http//www.kshs.org/teachers/to
urs/plains_indian_homes.htm
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Native Plains Village

• This depiction is of a Plains Native camp. The
  depiction shows the change that the introduction
  of the horse might have made to the Comanche
  tribe. No longer did they have to hunt on foot.
  Life in the tribes became a little simpler.
• This painting was done by Nola Davis. I have
  included it in my collection because the village
  was typical of the area during the arrival of the
  Europeans.

Image acquired at http//www.texasbeyondhistory.n
et/forts/griffin/images/clash.html
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Idaho Reservation

• Probably one of the biggest travesties of modern
  time is the way that we have come to treat the
  native Americans hundreds of years after the
  Europeans came.
• I have included these pictures in this room to
  show the vast injustice I believe came about with
  the creation of Indian Reservations throughout
  the U.S.A.

Image acquired at http//www.chss.iup.edu/kpatric
k/Cartomb.shtml
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Navajo Reservation

• This reservation found in Arizona depicts the
  horrid living conditions of modern day Native
  Americans. This is the travesty that began
  hundreds of years ago with the settling of the
  Europeans.

Image acquired at http//www.bized.co.uk/educator
s/16-19/economics/development/lesson/sup_povertyph
otos.htm
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Tulalip Reservation

• This home found in the Tulalip reservation is
  typical of the housing in 1916. Located in the
  state of Washington it is home to 9,500 Native
  Americans still.

Image acquired at http//www.answers.com/topic/tu
lalip?cattechnology
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San Diego Reservation

• Located in the beautiful countryside of san Diego
  county is a reservation created to house Native
  Americans. Again you can see the squalor that
  the first inhabitants of our great land live in
  today.

Image acquired at http//www.sandiegohistory.org/
journal/75fall/clevelandimages.htm
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Native American Map

• Europeans first landing in the Americas had no
  idea that the country was home to so many native
  peoples. The tribes of Native Americans spread
  from coast to coast. The invasion upon the
  Natives lands would cause bloodshed, disease and
  upheaval.
• I have included this map in my museum to help my
  gallery viewers to differentiate between the
  regions and tribes highlighted within these
  walls. I also believe it is important for
  students of Native American history to realize
  the vast numbers of tribes that were settled
  before the Europeans began to attribute to their
  decline.
• With that said I hope you enjoy the collection I
  have compiled of the settlements and housing
  styles of these various tribes.

Image acquired at http//www.evgschool.org/The20
Indians20of20the20New20World.htm
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Suzanne Hill

• The Idea of becoming a teacher came to me about a
  year ago. My Fiancée believes it was a mid-life
  crisis, I think it was an awakening. Either way
  it was the best decision I ever made. I love
  being a teacher and wouldnt trade it for the
  world.
• Although history was always my least
  favorite subject in school, I find now it is my
  favorite of all. I love to bring life to history
  inside my fourth grade classroom. Unfortunately
  right now I am in a Reading First school which
  makes it very hard to find time to teach the
  History I have come to love. I do find ways,
  through read aloud time and writing activities to
  incorporate it into my curriculum.
• I love new ideas for teaching and appreciate
  any advice from more experienced teachers.
  Please contact me anytime with your input.
• smhill_at_interact.ccsd.net

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Note Virtual museums were first introduced by
educators at Keith Valley Middle School in
Horsham, Pennsylvania. This template was designed
by Dr. Christy Keeler based on one of the sample
virtual museums provided by the Keith Valley
staff at ISTEs NECC 2005. Contact Dr. Keeler for
more information on using this template.