Tent Tepee
A variety of tents and tepee forms were available to
the Métis people. The Aboriginal tribes around north shore of the Great
Lakes used a bark wigwam. This was constructed by forming a cone of
poles, and then wrapping the cone with large pieces of bark. The
resulting structure was smaller than the hide tepee of the plains. That
structure was constructed with fewer poles, and was more carefully
structured.
The tepee is based on the triangle. A trio of poles were tied
together at the top, lifted erect and then spread into a triangle. The
next pole put up was inserted into the tie, and then others, up to nine
or twelve, depending on the size, were laid into the angles between the
first poles. The tepee cover was tied by one corner to the top of the
last pole and pulled around into place. A single Tepee could be large
enough to house up to twelve people, while a number tepee covers could
be used to create a communal space that could hold hundreds of people
for feasts and other community events.
When the Métis people moved into the buffalo hunting lifestyle, they
used tepees when they were travelling. They also had access to canvas
tents brought in by the Europeans. These came in various configurations,
including the army tent with the v-shaped roof and short walls. These
tents were sometimes modified by having a half-circle of extra material
on the back wall, forming a bell. This could be used for storage or
additional room.
Over time, a standard tent evolved which was used on trap-lines and
while travelling in the north. Adapted from the army tent, it was
constructed to allow used of a small stove inside, with a chimney hole
cut in the back wall. It is still available and can be purchased by
asking simply for the trapper’s tent.
[Top] [Back] |