Plains India Tepee

A tepee is a Plains Indian home. It is made of buffalo hide fastened around very long wooden poles primarily made of Lodgepole pine, designed in a cone shape. Tepees were warm in the winter and cool in the summer. They could hold 30 or 40 people comfortably. There was a small fire in the center for cooking and for warmth when needed. Tepees had an open space at the top to let the smoke out. Ropes and wooden pegs were required to bind the poles, close the cover, attach the lining and door, and anchor the resulting structure to the ground.