Did the chef of an Indian tribe live in the biggest tipi?

Answer 1

No, there was no difference in size and there was not usually an overall tribal chief - this is a common misconception. Native American leadership is a subject that has never been understood properly by white Americans; there were many different grades of chief from temporary war party leaders to war chiefs, camp chiefs and councils of tribal elders. Some tribes would erect a temporary "council tipi" which was larger than usual to accommodate all the tribal chiefs and elders - in some cases these were simply frameworks supporting brushwood screens instead of tipis.

The tipis of some prominent warriors, chiefs and medicine men would be decorated on the exterior to display the deeds or powers of the person living there, but not all chiefs painted their tipis in this way.