Welcome back to our weekly Historical Tidbit Blog Column!
I'm really excited to be able to share my research, my favorite reference books, shows or movies I've seen that inspire, as well as my passion for history with you in a quicker and more regular way. My focus will be on my current WIP (Work in Progress) - a western romance fiction novel. So I hope you enjoy!!
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado observed tipis (skin tents) on the Great Plains during his travels in 1540 through 1542. The Native Americans he met, he called "Qerechos" (which historians have assumed were Apaches).
Famous American frontiersman, Kit Carson, lived in a tipi with his Indian wives.
Sitting Bull had 2 wives, both of which lived inside his tipi. The chief's tipi was usually the largest in the camp due to the amount of entertaining/visiting he was required to do.
Sadly, when Indians were moved to reservations, they were discouraged from building or maintaining their tipis. If the cover wore out, they were given canvas material to replace it which would not hold up as well nor keep the weather out as well. When the poles wore out, the Indian Agent refused to allow them to leave the reservation to go find the specific trees they needed to replace them. Most were forced to abandon the old way of living due to these limitations.
Source:
"The Indian Tipi: Its History, Construction, and Use" by Reginald and Gladys Laubin
ISBN#0-8061-2236-6
No comments:
Post a Comment