I Carry My Home With Me

I Carry My Home With Me. The Ponca Tipi. , In contrast to the village earthlodge, the tipi was a light and portable shelter. It was a kind of seasonal, second home. Constructed of slender wooden poles and buffalo hide, tipis were pitched in a circular arrangement during the bison hunt and dance ceremonies. The exterior hides were decorated with important personal and clan symbols. Two front flaps created both an entrance and means by which to catch the wind and regulate drafts for the center fire. , Everything about our tipi homes was portable. These dwellings were in harmony with our nomadic lifestyle. Our ancestors moved seasonally to take advantage of the best locations for hunting and gathering. We crossed the prairies in pursuit of our buffalo herds, and traveled with our tipis to make a camp when needed. , Please enjoy exploring this reconstructed tipi camp and think back to a time when our tipis and ancient fires once dotted the landscape. , The structure of a Ponca encampment roughly mimics the poles of a tipi, with the chief’s camp in the center, and surrounding clusters organized by clan. Tipi doors always face to the east. , [Illustration / Ponca Clans]
Maka . Nuxe’ . Hisada . Wazaze . Nikapasna . Dixida . Wasabe, Just as our people live by the land, our homes were traditionally made of the land.