Across
the river from Ft St. Joseph in the 18th Century, there lived many members of
the Potawatomi tribe in a large village. Unlike the French who occupied Fort
St. Joseph, the Potawatomi did not construct their homes with intentions of
permanence. To best exploit the abundant natural resources around them, the
Potawatomi and their homes moved with the changing of seasons.
My
name is Kaitlin Burton and I am an undergraduate at Western Michigan University
and I am studying Anthropology. I chose to research the architecture of the
Potawatomi’s homes, as I am very interested how the raw materials of the region
were ingeniously used by indigenous peoples to thrive in the Great Lakes
region.
When I
initiated my research on the architecture of Potawatomi wigwams, I was
overjoyed to discover a wealth of resources. I was excited, as in the
archeological record, evidence of Great Lakes Native American structures is
quite scarce. This scarcity exists as the structures were constructed to last
temporarily for a season, in accordance with a seasonal lifestyle. Further, the
moist climate of the Great Lakes region, with its frequent freezing and
thawing, quickly rotted building materials. In addition to examining the
archeological data, I have been studying historical accounts, literature, and consulting
a member of the Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi Tribe.
I have
learned that the Potawatomi constructed three general living structures: summer
homes, winter homes, and harvesting camp homes. In my research, I am exploring
the architecture of the summer and winter homes, and my classmate Lakenia is
researching architecture of the harvesting camp homes.
The
homes constructed by the Potawatomi were easily portable and quite durable
against the weather. To construct the framework of the homes, bent saplings
were fastened together in accordance with the architecture of a summer or
winter home. Variant on the season, different materials shielded the home from
the weather. In the centers of the homes were large fireplaces, and the
outskirts of the home consisted of areas designated for storage, sleeping, and
many other uses. When resources were
abundant in the summer, multiple families would occupy a single house. In the
winter, the homes were smaller as families separated into their immediate
organizations, conserving resources. Assembling these structures took very
little time, yet they provided exceptional protection from the wide gamut of
weather patterns of West Michigan.
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| A wigwam in Minnesota. Photo courtesy of Michael Nassaney |
With
my classmate Erika, I will continue exploring the materials used in homes at Ft
St. Joseph and the surrounding Potawatomi villages, construction techniques,
designated areas of the homes, as well as many more fascinating aspects of life
in the home during the 18th century in Niles, MI.
Sincerely,
Kaitlin
