The Longhouse

• The Iroquois, or five nations of upstate New York, dwelt in wooden structures called longhouses. These large living units were constructed from green poles culled from second growth forests and freshly-cut elm bark. The length of the longhouse varied widely with lengths of 500 or 600 feet possible, even though the height and width were set at 20 feet for each dimension. The frame was lashed together with natural materials and separate living spaces were created with dividers made from woven mats and animal skins. Each longhouse usually housed related-family units.
  
  

Wood Plank Houses

• The American Indians of the Pacific Northwest built and dwelt in wood plank houses that showed a few similarities to the Iroquois longhouse. These structures were basically made from wood and housed many families with a common matrilineal kinship. Other than that, these structures were very different. Most noticeable was the custom of the Pacific tribes to decorate the front of their structures with animal motifs and also to place large totem poles in front of the building. Furthermore, the western version of the longhouse was made almost entirely from cedar wood and featured large wood posts, beams, floorboards and exterior walls that were cut from freshly-felled cedar trees with crude axes.
  
  

Tepees

• Perhaps the most familiar living structure that was used by American Indians was the tepee, which was so common among the nomadic tribes of the Great Plains. Made from animal skins stretched or stitched around a pole frame, the tepee made for a convenient transportable shelter or a permanent winter camp. Often, hunting images and tribal history were inscribed on the structure with crude paint. Over time, these skin shelters evolved into tall conical enclosures that held a cooking fire in the center of the space. Usually a tepee housed only small family groups.
  
  

Thatched Huts

• All across North America, Indian dwellings of all types were sometimes crafted with natural woven materials and grasses to create a thatched hut or similar living space. Usually the frame was made from flexible poles or branches tied together in such a way that thatched material could be used to provide a very functional exterior. A small doorway was present, but other than that no other opening was usually present. Sometimes, such as with the chickees used by the Florida Seminoles, a thatched roof supported by log poles made up the entire structure.