Museum Entrance

1
Museum Entrance
The Native American Housing Museum
Welcome to the Native American Housing Museum
Press for Curator
Wickiups
Longhouses
2
Room 2
The Native American Housing Museum
Cliff Dwellings
Museum Entrance
3
Room 3
The Native American Housing Museum
Longhouses
Museum Entrance
4
Room 4
Dine Hogans
The Native American Housing Museum
Museum Entrance
5
Apaches on Horseback

• Apaches were a nomadic tribe, which means that
  they travelled and did not typically stay
  anywhere permanently. Apaches were hunters and
  followed small game such as rabbits and deer.
  They constructed their houses out of nearby
  materials. There are bushes and trees that could
  have been gathered to build a wickiup. This is a
  prime location to set up camp due to the water
  source.
• I chose this picture, because it portrays the
  tribe as nomadic, and the materials readily
  available for housing is apparent.

Image acquired at http//www.legendsofamerica.com
/PicturePages/na-apache1.html
Return to Room
6
A Wickiup Under Construction

• Bent branches form the framework of this
  Chiricahua Apache dwelling. This dome structure
  will soon be covered in grass or brush and tied
  in place with yucca by the women of the tribe.
  Women are the builders of the wickiups. These
  dwellings are waterproofed by covering the
  thatched grass with animal skins.
• I chose this picture, because the internal
  framework is apparent, showcasing its
  beautiful-dome shape.

Image acquired at http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Im
ageRibs_of_Apache_wickiup.jpg
Return to Room
7
Traditional Wickiup

• In a matter of days, the wickiup is completed.
  Any repairs need to be done will be completed by
  the women. The wickiup has a hole in the middle
  to allow the smoke to escape from a central fire.
  Pottery is stored outside the wickiup. When
  its time to move on, the wickiup is torched.
• I chose this picture because it shows a
  completed dwelling. I like the artistry of the
  earthen jars.

Image acquired at http//www.legendsofamerica.com
/PicturePages/na-apache5-wikiup.html
Return to Room
8
Chiricahua Wickiup

• A Chiricahua family sits in the entrance
  of their wickiup. The family looks quite
  comfortable in their environmentally-friendly and
  camouflaged structure. This particular wickiup
  looks rather large. Most wickiups have a
  circular base of about 8 feet and a height of 5-6
  feet.
• I included this picture, because it reminded me
  of something I read in New Worlds For All. A
  Micmac chief asked French visitors in the 17th
  century, Do we not have in our dwelling all the
  conveniences and advantages that you have in
  yours, such as reposing, drinking, and sleeping,
  eating, and amusing ourselves with friends?

Image acquired at http//www.arikah.net/encyclope
dia/images/3/3d/Chiricahua_medicine_man.jpg
Return to Room
9
Cliff Palace

• Cliff Palace is located at Mesa Verde National
  Park. It has 217 rooms and 23 kivas (a place for
  ceremonies). Cliff Palace was constructed by
  Ancient Puebloans. They built apartment-like
  housing. Wooden ladders were used to access the
  upper stories. As population increased, they
  just built another room. At Mesa Verde National
  Park, there are many other cliff-side apartment
  dwellings.
•  
• Cliff Palace is incredible. To complete such a
  task without the benefit of technology is
  astounding. Baskets and yucca sandals have been
  found at Mesa Verde National Park, giving some
  insight as to how the people lived.

Image acquired at http//www.phototripusa.com/ima
ges/anasazi/anasazi_05.html
Return to Room
10
Keet Seel

• The Hisatsinom built Keet Seel prior to Navajos
  occupying the area in which Keet Seel is located.
  Even though it is now on Navajo land, it is not
  a Navajo structure. It is an Ancient Puebloan
  dwelling. The term Hisatsinom replaces the
  term Anasazi. Anasazi is a Navajo word which
  means enemies of long ago. Hopis are
  descendants of the Anasazi. However, Hopis
  object to the term Anasazi, because they never
  refer to someone as their enemy.
•  
• I chose this picture because it provides a
  close-up view of a cliff dwelling. If you ever
  visit Keet Seel, you will see the toe holds that
  are imbedded in the rock that enabled the
  Hisatsinom to climb up to their house.

Image acquired at http//www.phototripusa.com/ima
ges/anasazi/anasazi_22.html
Return to Room
11
Masonry Example

• This is a section of a wall to a building at
  Chaco Canyon. Sandstone, mortar and wooden beams
  were the three primary construction materials.
  The Ancestral Puebloans shaped each sandstone
  block using harder stones collected from nearby
  river beds. The mortar between the blocks is a
  mixture of soil, water, and ash. Tiny pieces of
  stone are fitted in the mortar. This is called
  chinking. Chinking stones fill in the gaps
  within the mortar and add structural stability to
  the walls.
•  
• I chose this picture, because it gives a
  detailed view of the construction of a typical
  Pueblo dwelling. Today, on the Hopi
  reservation, traditional Hopi homes are built
  using this method. Hopis are descended from
  Ancient Puebloans. Hopis refer to their
  ancestors as Hisatsinom.

Image acquired at http//www.phototripusa.com/ima
ges/anasazi/anasazi_16.html
Return to Room
12
Montezumas Castle

• Montezumas Castle is located near Camp Verde,
  Arizona. It was mistakenly named after an Aztec
  chieftain. However, this cliff dwelling was
  occupied by Sinagua Indians 1100 1400, several
  years before Christopher Columbus stepped foot on
  North America. It was built inside a rock
  overhang 70 feet above Beaver Creek. Montezumas
  Castle has 5 stories and 20 rooms. Around 1400,
  this dwelling was abandoned for reasons unknown.
•  
• I picked this picture, because Montezumas
  Castle is high above the ground. Standing 70
  feet below this high-rise dwelling, one realizes
  how dangerous it was to go home and leave home.
  How many people fell? What did they do to mend
  broken bones? Did they have a way to hoist game
  or water? Montezumas Castle is camouflaged
  inside the cliff, which leads me to wonder, who
  or what were they afraid of?

Image acquired at http//www.phototripusa.com/ima
ges/anasazi/anasazi_26.html
Return to Room
13
Longhouse Construction

• Houses reflect the materials available. The
  northeast had an abundance of trees. Therefore,
  tribes, such as the Iroquois, constructed
  longhouses out of trees. Rows of posts were put
  into holes dug into the ground. Wood is bent to
  form a semi-circle frame. The Iroquois tied the
  bent poles and posts together with long strips of
  bark.
•  
• I chose this picture because it shows the
  framework of a longhouse. It shows bent wooden
  poles in the shape of a semi-circle.

Image acquired at http//www.nysm.nysed.gov/Iroqu
oisVillage/images/figure1longhouselg.gif
Return to Room
14
Bark Covered Longhouse

• After the framework was put into place, the
  longhouse was then covered with sheets of elm
  bark. Bark was peeled from large trees. Then,
  it was flattened, and rocks were placed on the
  bark to keep it from curling as it was drying.
  Elm tree bark has deep grooves. The Iroquois
  used these grooves to channel rain water. After
  the bark was placed over the frame, small poles
  were placed on the outside of the longhouse to
  keep the wind from ripping off the bark.
•  
• I chose this picture because the bark and the
  outside poles are visible. Furthermore, the
  picture shows how tall a longhouse can be.
  Behind the longhouse, there are lots of trees.
  The forests were an important part of their
  culture. Deforestation by the colonists
  exhausted the Iroquois building materials.

Image acquired at http//www.angelfire.com/mi4/po
lcrt/IroquoisIntro.html
Return to Room
15
Longhouse Interior Lay-Out

• The interior of a longhouse was divided into
  compartments. One family would live in the
  compartment on the left, and another family would
  live in the compartment on the right. A fire
  burned in the middle of the aisle. There could
  have been several fires burning in the aisles at
  one time. The Iroquois put holes in the roof to
  allow the smoke to escape. A piece of bark was
  used to the hole so that the flap could be opened
  and closed depending on the weather. A platform
  was added to provide storage for corn, pots, or
  tobacco. The framework poles provided drying
  racks for corn or fruit.
•  
• I chose this picture because it reproduces
  Iroquois life inside the longhouse.

Image acquired at http//www.nysm.nysed.gov/Iroqu
oisVillage/images/figure3interiorlg.gif
Return to Room
16
Inside a Longhouse

• The Iroquois lead a communal life. Many
  families who were of the same clan would share a
  longhouse. The length of the longhouse depended
  on how many people lived inside. Longhouses
  ranged from 30 feet to 220 feet. European
  influences changed Iroquois housing. The
  Iroquois started building single-family log
  cabins. Communal living decreased, and the bonds
  between Iroquois families weakened.
•  
• I chose this picture because it shows the
  openness of Iroquois living. Today people live
  private lives. The ties between members of the
  Iroquois community had to be incredibly strong to
  live daily life under the scrutiny of others.
  What if I had to live with my mom, dad, brother,
  sister-in-law, sister, brother-in-law, aunts,
  uncles, nieces, and nephews in a longhouse?

Image acquired at http//www.nativeamericans.com/
Wigwams.htm
Return to Room
17
Male Hogan

• This is a picture of an early Navajo Hogan.
  This is called a forked-stick hogan or male
  hogan. It is a cone-shaped structure made out
  of packed mud. Male hogans were built during
  the 1600s and 1700s. Navajos began herding
  sheep. The introduction of sheep brought about a
  lifestyle change. As they acquired more and more
  sheep, Navajos accumulated more possessions.
  More possessions meant that they needed a bigger
  hogan. So they built a female hogan.
• I chose this picture because it is rare to see a
  male hogan. Today, male hogans are used for
  sweat lodges. The female hogan is the place
  where the family eats and sleeps. Also, the
  people outside the hogan indicate that the hogan
  was a home regardless of his rudimentary
  elements.

Image acquired at http//www.kstrom.net/isk/maps/
houses/hogan.html
Return to Room
18
Female Hogan

• With the introduction of sheep and farming,
  Navajos needed more space. They built a larger
  rounder dwelling. This is called a female
  hogan. It is female because the hogan resembles
  a flared skirt. Ceremonies are held in hogans.
  A hogan is a large open room with a stove in the
  middle. All movements made inside the hogan are
  clockwise. Nails are not used. Door hinges
  used to be constructed from the soles of shoes.
•  
• I chose this picture because it contrasts the
  male and female hogan. On the Navajo
  reservation, these kinds of hogans can still be
  seen. Even though they are not usually inhabited
  on a long-term basis, Navajos still stay in them
  when they are herding sheep.

Image acquired at http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ho
gan
Return to Room
19
Hexagonal Hogan

• The building of the railroad brought new
  materials, such as railroad ties. The railroad
  ties changed the hogans shape from round to
  hexagon. The doorway always faces the east to
  welcome the morning sun. Because Navajos are
  sheepherders, the women weave rugs with intricate
  designs. A beautiful Navajo rug hangs in the
  doorway of a hogan.
•  
• I chose this picture because it shows the
  changes of the hogan over time. Technology
  brought changes to housing structures. Also,
  the Navajo rug gives some insight into their
  culture. Navajo rugs are popular today. Rugs
  cost anywhere from hundreds of dollars to
  thousands of dollars.

Image acquired at http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ho
gan
Return to Room
20
Modern Hogan

• Hogans are an important part of the Navajo
  culture. On the Navajo reservation, it is common
  to see hogans. They are no longer built with
  railroad ties and mud, but they still have
  retained their shape and their ceremonial
  significance. Hogans have one room and are about
  23 feet in diameter. If they are not occupied,
  they are used for healing ceremonies. If you
  ever enter a hogan always walk clockwise. Men
  sit on the south side, and women sit on the north
  side. If someone of great importance enters the
  hogan, he or she sits on the west side.
•  
• I chose this picture because after hundreds of
  years Navajos still retain some of their culture,
  a culture that Europeans attempted to stamp out.
  Plus, this is a peaceful picture which
  symbolizes the tranquil nature of the occupants
  of the hogan.

Image acquired at http//www.galenfrysinger.com/n
avajo_hogan_arizona.htm
Return to Room
21
Traditional Navajo Rug

• This is the right half of a large
  pictorial-style rug, woven in 1984 by Isabel
  John, a Navajo elder. She lives in Many Farms,
  Arizona. She depicts in her weaving the 9th day
  of a Yeibeichai healing ceremony. Hogans are
  visible in the foreground and background.
  People have come for a ceremony that will take
  place in a hogan, or perhaps, due to the amount
  of sheep, it is time for butchering.
•  
• I chose this picture because of the artistry.
  It also depicts Navajo lifesheep herding
  butchering, ceremonies, and family togetherness.

Image acquired at http//www.kstrom.net/isk/maps/
houses/hogan.html
Return to Room
22
Monica Modesitt

• Recently, I moved from Tuba City, Arizona to
  Las Vegas, Nevada. In Tuba City I taught 1st
  grade Navajo and Hopi 1st graders for several
  years. Also, I worked with the Hopi Tribe to
  develop a Hopi Culture Curriculum for grades K-6.
  Currently, I teach 4th grade at McMillan
  Elementary School.
•  While working on my museum, I listened to
  De-Has-De-Na, a song by Sidney Poolheco who is a
  member of the Hopi tribe. The sound of his voice
  calmed my nerves and enabled me to complete this
  project. This project afforded me the
  opportunity to practice with technology before
  introducing it to my students.
• I learned that there is a rich pictorial
  history of Indigenous People, and a picture adds
  a dimension that words couldn't account for. I
  was surprised to learn that the introduction of
  the railroad brought design changes to the hogan.
  I also learned that the Vikings lived in
  longhouses too. The media basically portrays all
  Native Americans as feather-headdress wearing
  tipi dwellers. This project shows the diversity
  of housing among the tribes, from cliff dwelling
  to hogan to igloo to longhouse to tipi to wickiup
  to wigwam. Completing this project has made me
  want to go back home to the reservation, where in
  some places there is no electricity or running
  water and sand blows in the cracks of the windows
  and coal has to be gathered for heat. Outsiders
  think we're poor, and we live in squalor. But it
  is our home and we are rich with the sound of the
  buffalo dance and the sound of the katsinas
  emerging from the kiva. There definitely is a
  spirit of peace and tranquility, one that can
  only be felt, never explained.
• Monica Modesitt mjmodesitt_at_interact.ccsd.net

Return to Room
Note Virtual museums were first introduced by
educators at Keith Valley Middle School in
Horsham, Pennsylvania. This template was designed
by Dr. Christy Keeler based on one of the sample
virtual museums provided by the Keith Valley
staff at ISTEs NECC 2005. Contact Dr. Keeler for
more information on using this template.