HOW WIGWAMS WERE BUILT

Discover the construction and living conditions inside these traditional domed dwellings

- AILSA HARVEY

Wigwams, also called wickiups or birchbark houses, were the traditional houses of Native American tribes in the Eastern Woodlands of North America, such as the Algonquin, Wampanoag and Ojibwe tribes.

They were widely used for centuries, continuing into the 17th century, and are still used today for ceremonial events. Wigwams could be built within a few days and were usually made for semi-permanence over long periods.

Traditionally, they measured anywhere from two metres in diameter up to nine metres, but were generally quite small. At the centre of a wigwam's dome, the height was around 2.5 metres.