Building a Wigwam  - Part One - The Frame

      With reenactment season fast approaching it is time to get things ready.  If you want a wigwam it's not a real hard task, as long as you have the right materials.  Personally I need a few more pieces to get ready for the season, because I want to expand the wigwam I already have to be a little bigger.  
      Wigwams were the traditional style shelter for portable, temporary use by the Ojibwe.   They were used much the same as we use a tent.  The word is actually "wiigwaaswi-gamig."  Wiiwaaswi means made out of birch bark, and gamig means shelter or house.  The "wi" suffix means made out of.  Since all houses or shelters are made out of something they are all some kind of "-wi-gamig", hence "wigam" or "wigwam."    Setting up a camp is "gibeshiwe" (gi-BAY-shi-way) and the camp itself is "gibeshiwin." (gi-BAY-shi-win)
      The first thing you need is the sticks for the framework.  You want these to be between about an inch ti a half inch in diameter.  Also the wood must be of a kind that will bend without breaking.  Willow works good, but if it's diamond willow it will break at any point a diamond has formed.  Of course you are looking for pieces that are long and straight, or have a slight natural curve in them.  Poplar (aspen) grows straight, but will break if you try to bend it too far.  These should be cut to lengths of about six or seven feet.  

      After gathering sticks you will need to mark out the ground where the frame will go, and put holes in the ground into which you will insert the upright sticks.  to make the holes an iron stent stake pounded about four to six inches into the ground works well.  after putting the stake into the ground a few inches, spin it around in circles in order to widen the hole enough for the uprights.  These holes should be spaced about 2 1/2 to 3 feet apart all along the circumference of your wigwam.  

 

      Next you will put in the upright sticks.  You should choose the ones that are stouter for this.  Obviously the stoutest end of the stick is the end you will put into the ground.  The other end will tend to bend more easily, which you will need it to do.  You can sharpen the end going into the ground with a swift stroke from a tomahawk. Each stick should have a matching stick on the opposite side.  Yes, you need an even number of upright sticks. 

      You will then take a third (or more for a bigger wigwam) stick for each upright pair, and use it to tie the two uprights together.  You will need at least two ties for each connection, and many times you may need a third tie (you will know when you run across it).  

      As you start to work your way around you will start tying the hoop assemblies together where they cross.  This will firm up your framework.  You will choose your layout based upon your needs for size.  You might fit just one or two people (if they like each other) in the small one, you could fit a small family of three in the center one, and more in the longhouse style.  With the longhouse style you can keep going as large as you need.  For the longhouse style your top sticks need to be sturdier too. 

      Next you will start tying in the horizontal hoops.  They will go around at about every 2 1/2 to 3 feet high.  You will tie one piece of hoop to the next one as you go around the wigwam.  If you need to be told to stop at the door frame for the lower hoops, so that you can have a door, then you don't deserve to have a wigwam.  You should stop reading this immediately, and please never build a wigwam.  In fact if that's the case please don't drive or operate heavy machinery either. 

      Now you have a finished frame.  Traditionally we used to leave the frames up where they were and take the covering with us as we traveled along to the next gibeshiwin.  We had them set up in areas for harvesting the various berries, nuts, and for ricing, fishing, and there was one for each family at the summer gathering camp.  If you nkew that a certain area was bountiful for bleuberries, or raspberries, you'd be coming back there again, so it was easier to just leave the frame there.  It makes it easier to set up camp, and is much quicker.  
      If you are using your "wam" to take along to historical reenactments, then you will be setting it up from scratch every time.  To make that task a little bit easier You can bundle your framing sticks together by type.  I also have my hoop sticks labeled.  
      There is a very wide variety of coverings that can be used for your wigwam.  I'll write about that in a couple days.