Tipis

The tipi, commonly traced back to the migratory American Indians, is an ingeniously simple compilation of only a few raw materials. Wooden poles erected in a triangular shape and tied together at the top form the skeleton of the structure. A durable fabric - historically animal skins but now typically a weather-resistant canvas or heavy cotton - is wrapped snugly around the poles, leaving only a hole at the top to release smoke, a small door and sometimes a window or two. A central fire would heat the structure in winters. Today, these conical constructions are a warm, spacious and a historical alternative to a modern tent.