U.S. History Essay: Native American Community through Architecture

     American Indian views of community and the individual were evident by the way they expressed themselves through their architecture. The style of their homes as well as their placement in the community were both significant features in their culture.

     The style of American Indian homes varied throughout the United States. The development of farming allowed Native Americans to settle in one place and build a village, rather than constant migration, which was tough on the elderly and the young. The culture of the Eastern Woodland Indians adopted this lifestyle while the culture of the Western Plains Indians remained very migratory as they continued to chase the buffalo for source of food. This shows in the fact that the Woodland Indians had permanent, wooden houses while the migratory Plains Indians continued using teepees, which were easy to store and carry.

     Not only was the type of houses significant, but the placement of these structures among the community was important. Tribes only had a hand-full of families and each of those families had their own house. There was little privacy and everyone relied on their family and the tribe for survival. Houses were grouped together for protection and convenience. Usually, there was a large communal house that the tribe used for celebrations and council meetings. This communal house could also be used for protection against animals, other tribes, or frontiersmen.

     Overall, the permanent villages of Eastern Woodland Indians were well thought out and each structure was placed for a specific reason. The Western Plains Indians weren’t sedimentary and their teepees are just another example of that fact. Too bad disease and imperialism drove them to scant numbers in barren reservations across the west.