Page 44 - Alderville First Nation

Homes
WORDS TO KNOW
teepee: a home made from
buffalo skin and wooden poles
wigwam: a home made
from natural material such as
tree bark
42 Alderville First Nation
ogemawahj_community_book3.indd 42
Another image that television and movies have created is that
all First Nations people lived in teepees made from buffalo skin
and wooden poles. This is not so. First Nations who lived on
the plains, such as the Plains Cree, used the teepee in the past.
They followed the buffalo and had horses to help them, so the
teepee was easy to move from place to place. The Anishinaabeg,
though, lived in the bush. It would have been difficult to drag a
teepee around trees, especially without the help of a horse.
In the past, during the winter months, the Anishinaabeg lived in
wigwams that were constructed from the bark of trees. When
the family moved to their summer hunting and fishing grounds,
they left the wigwam behind where it was recycled back to the
earth. Their summer home was constructed from animal hides.
When they moved back to their winter hunting grounds, they
built a new wigwam.
Today, our homes are like those found elsewhere in southern
Ontario. Most of our homes have modern appliances such as
microwaves, washers, dryers, and freezers. We also have tablets,
cellphones, and laptop computers.
2019-02-28 10:57 AM