How did the crow Indians construct their homes?

Answer 1

The Crows made three types of dwelling: the tipi-style lodge (ashi in Crow) was the main dwelling, but war parties and hunters made temporary lodges of two kinds - a framework of poles set against a tree-trunk (ashdache = "poles-against-tree") and a dome-topped lodge (ashdaxpusheeo) like a sweat-lodge.

The ashi or tipi was made of a framework of very tall pine saplings with a cover made from buffalo cow hides sewn together to make a roughly semi-circular shape. The poles were gathered in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

The temporary lodges were simply wooden sticks covered in brushwood, since they might only be used for a single night.

See link below for a photograph of a Crow ashi:

Answer 2

Crow tipis (ashi in Crow) typically used muchlonger poles than in other tribes, so that the finished tent had almost an hour-glass shape with the cover over the lower part.

The Crows, unlike many other tribes, used a foundation of 4 poles tied together as the support for the entire tent. These poles were lodgepole pines from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Having erected the 4 supporting poles, others were then rested loose against them - perhaps between 20 and 30 poles in total.

The semi-circular cover would be made from many full-sized buffalo cow hides tanned using the brains of the same animals - brain contains an oil which effectively preserves the leather and softens it to some extent. Many women would work together making a cover, using buffalo sinew as the sewing thread as it needs no needles, simply an awl to make holes. Additional sections at the front top edge served as smoke flaps.

The final pole to be put in place had the cover attached to it, so all that had to be done was to pull the front edges into place and pin them together with sharp wooden pins about a foot long.

Inside the ashi would be fixed a kind of curtain all around the lower section of the walls to provide insulation and keep damp out.

A few people could erect or dismantle the ashi in just a few minutes.

See links below for images:

Answer 3

Exactly the same materials were used by all Plains tribes to construct the portable tents today commonly called tipis (ashi in Crow).

Lodge-pole pines from the foothills of the rocky Mountains were used for the frame; the tanned and smoked hides of buffalo cows made the cover; wooden pegs sharpened at each end were used to fix the front seam of the cover; a rope of leather or horse-hair fastened the poles to a peg in the interior of the ashi; a circle of large stones framed the hearth; stones would also hold down the lower edge of the cover in winter.

Decoration might include buffalo tails and enemy scalps fastened to the tops of some of the lodge-poles; a few ashi were painted, using mainly earth pigments (mineral colours such as white clay, yellow ochre, red ochre and charcoal).

Answer 4

The Crow Lived in Teepees :) ~ Molly Fisher Frome PA (Cambria Heights)