Our Village Homes

Our Village Homes. The Ponca Earthlodge: Maithi. , Back in the day, our people lived in villages comprised of earthlodges. We called the lodges maithi, and they were set beside our gardens and crops. These dwellings were constructed by women, though men sometimes helped to cut and carry in the heavy wooden posts. , All maithi were built facing east to catch the morning sun, and each earthlodge housed many people. These round buildings had a sturdy wooden framework and were covered with brush, prairie grass, and dirt. Earthlodges would typically stand for five to seven years. Once they fell into disrepair, we left them to erode and return to the earth. New semi-permanent villages and maithi would be built where the game was good and the plants were abundant for gathering. , Today this earthlodge has been reinforced with modern materials to give it a longer life span. Please respect this special structure: do not climb on the earthlodge or leave your garbage around it. Wi' Bthu Ho. , Each earthlodge, or maithi, was built facing east to capture the light of the rising sun.