By Caitlin Cioce, Colleen Burns, Alyssa Wortman, and Ahmed Rezeq

Where They Lived Unlike many other Indian tribes ,

the Lenape Indians did not live in teepees. Instead, they lived in

round houses called wigwams or longer houses called longhouses. A

wigwam was more of a single family house that was covered with

bark and grass. A longhouse was more of a community house that help 25-30 families. Each village community contained a series of longhouses; sweat lodges, which were used as stem baths to aid in

treating disease; and a rectangular council house.

Wigwams

Not all Native Americans lived in teepees. The Lenape lived in wigwams. In a wigwam, a single family lived. It was small with an opening in the

front to enter and leave. In here, the family cooked, slept, and lived. They were not very big and could not hold many people. The structure

of a wigwam was rounded. This helped it to withstand harsher conditions. A wigwam was 8

to 10 feet tall. They were made of frames of young trees covered with woven mats and bark.

How to Make a Wigwam

Step 1To build a wigwam, the people cut down young trees called saplings. They trimmed off the branches. Then they dug holes in the ground. They put saplings in the holes. This held the saplings in place.

Step 2They bent the saplings over, then lashed them together with cords, vines or animal skins. This made a frame for the wigwam.

Step 3Finally, they covered the frame with bark or mats made of grasses and reeds. They left a door and a hole in the top, so the smoke from the fire could escape.

LonghousesA longhouse is much like a wigwam, only

it is much larger and longer. Several families lived in the longhouse. It had bunks along

the sides. Each family had a fire pit to cook food and provide heat in the winter. A longhouse is used mostly in the colder

months. It is still rounded on top, but longer. Inside the longhouse, there are platforms on

either side that could be used as seats of beds. The fire pits run down the center of the longhouse. Openings in the roof would let smoke out. Corn and herbs were hung

high in the roof and there was room to store other goods beside the doorway.

How to Build a LonghouseStep 1First stakes are places in the ground. Then storage pits are dug in the ground.They leave a space for an entrance in the Longhouse. The Longhouse was 60 feet long and 25 feet wide.

Step 2Saplings were attached to the stakes. They were bent over and weaved together. They were covered with bark.

Step 3Sleeping platforms are added. Storage shelves, fire pits, and hooks are added. The storage pits are filled with food and covered with bark.

Traveling Shelters

The Lenape also used lean-tos. These are a woven platform attached

to a bark roof. The Lenape used these shelters when traveling or in the summer. They were able to be outside, yet were also able to keep

away from the weather.

Sources

The Lenape-Delaware Indian Heritage 10,000 BC to ad2000 by Herbert C. Kraft

www.bigorrin.org/lenape_kids.htm www.lenapelifeways.org/

lenape2.htm www.anthro4n6.net/lenape/