Native American Houses

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Native American Houses
Native Languages of the Americas

There were many different types of American Indian houses in North America. Each tribe needed a kind of housing that would fit their lifestyle and their climate. Since North America is such a big continent, different tribes had very different weather to contend with. In the Arizona deserts, temperatures can hit 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and in the Alaskan tundra, -50 is not unusual. Naturally, Native Americans developed different types of dwellings to survive in these different environments. Also, different American Indian tribes had different traditional lifestyles. Some tribes were agricultural-- they lived in settled villages and farmed the land for corn and vegetables. They wanted houses that would last a long time. Other tribes were more nomadic, moving frequently from place to place as they hunted and gathered food and resources. They needed houses that were portable or easy to build.

Here are descriptions and pictures of some of the Native American house styles the people developed over the years to fit these needs.

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