To build a Lenape style wigwam requires approximately (20) three inch diameter trees flexible enough to bend into a framework that can be covered with grasses, bark and or some animal skins.  For the Eastern Woodland Indians, animal skins from deer and bear would be hard to completely use as a covering because you would need a very large number of them compared to the approximately 21 larger buffalo skins that would have been used by plains Indians to cover a tepee. The tepee would requires about (15) twenty foot long poles that would be covered with the hide and could be put up and down to be moved from location to location.

This Wigwam was built by my friend Mike Dennis of Traditional Earth Skills. www.TraditionalEarthSkills.com

Mike presents about Native American Life while wearing traditional period clothing and allowing students to interact with the stick, stone and bone tools of the time.  I highly recommended booking a memorable program with him.

To find out more about the wigwam building process check out my article in Self Reliance Illustrated magazine issue #16 – Click Here to Download  You can subscribe at http://www.selfrelianceillustrated.com/  

Placing the First Beams

Wigwam in March Snow Storm

Wigwam in Winter

Wigwam – After a few months

Inside Smoke Flap

Building the Wigwam Frame

Frame Complete

The frame covered with reed matting