Page 38 - Georgina Island
P. 38
Homes
Another image created by television and movies is that all First
WORDS TO KNOW
Nations people lived in teepees made from buffalo skin and
teepee: a home made from
buffalo skin and wooden poles wooden poles. This is not so. First Nations who lived on the
plains, such as the Plains Cree, used the teepee; they followed
wigwam: a home made
from natural material such as the buffalo and had horses to help them, so the teepee was
tree bark
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, which 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
A model of a wigwam Ontario. Most of our homes have modern appliances such as
microwaves, washers, dryers, and freezers. We also have tablets,
cellphones, and laptop computers.
36 Georgina Island First Nation
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