Manataka
American Indian Council
TIPI ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS
Manataka American Indian Council
P.O. Box 476
Hot Springs, AR 71902-0476
501-627-0555 manataka@sbcglobal.net
Tipi Packages sold by Manataka do not include poles, ropes, and ground stakes. Purchase these items prior to starting assembly. 18-24 poles, 50-100 ft of rope and 18-24 ground stakes are needed. It is always a good idea to have extras of each.
POLES
The length of the poles should be 2-4 feet longer than the tipi diameter, or longer if preferred. Ribbons can be tied to the tips of the poles, except for smoke flap poles. Peal all the bark off the poles with a draw knife. Make sure every inch is smooth - so it will not cut or tear the cover. Sanding of the poles is recommended to reduce the possibility of tearing the canvas cover. You may also want to consider applying two or three coats of a good clear wood sealer.
FIGURE 1
N
= North Tripod
S = South Tripod
D = Door Pole
LP = Lifting Pole
SF = Smoke Flap Poles (2)
Select the three strongest poles for the tripod (North, South and Door). Another pole is the longest pole and is called the lifting pole (LP), and two twisted or bendable, medium-size poles for the smoke flap poles.
Lay the cover out flat, right side up (the smooth side of the seam is the right side). One of the tripod poles is laid on the cover near the door (D) even with the bottom hem. The other two are laid on the cover, side by side, running down the middle even with the bottom hem.
POLE ASSEMBLY
The three poles cross and be tied together 15" beyond the tipi cover. Label and mark the poles with tape or paint them to omit this step next time you erect the tipi. The poles should be tied together firmly, but not too tight. When the tripod is set up, the knot will tighten and if it is too tight the poles may break.
The poles should be tied with a rope long enough to reach the ground plus 9' to 10' extra feet so that it can be wrapped around the bundle several times and staked down in the center of the tipi in the event of strong winds.
FIGURE 2
The
tripod is stood up by walking under the poles. Have one person hold the rope
tightly to steady the lift process. Spread the tripod apart so the ends
are spread evenly in the approximate diameter of the tipi. Starting at the
front, stack the rest of the poles in crotch top. Leave a space for the
lifting pole directly opposite the door. Take the rope hanging down from
the top of the tripod poles and go outside the frame and walk the rope around
the tipi poles four times to wrap all the poles together at the crotch.
The remaining length of the rope should then be brought back inside the frame
and wrapped around an inside pole or staked to the ground at the center in case
of high winds.
FIGURE 3
COVER
The cover should now be rolled from both sides to the center along the lift pole, having the tie at the top exposed. Slide the lift pole (LP) under the cover and tie the pole tightly to the cover using the tie between the smoke flaps.
The
butt end of the pole should be even with the bottom of the cover. Have
someone hold the butt end to the ground and lift the pole and cover into the
open spot in the crotch left at the back of the frame.
Start up at the top pinhole and slide wooden lacing pins into the holes that hold the front of the cover together. The left side goes over the right side.
Adjust the poles and pull down the cover tight. Stake out the bottom and adjust the poles from the inside again so the cover lays smooth. Put the ends of the two remaining poles in the smoke flap pockets provided at the top corners of the smoke flaps.
N
= North Pole
S = South Pole
D = Door Pole
LP = Lift Pole
The example here is only a 10' tipi (kinda small). Notice the shape is not a circle but an egg-shaped oval.
FIREPLACE
Dig
a hole about 10" X 15" off center under the center pole bundle and
line with stones (not river stones as they may burst from the heat.
RAIN COVER (BULL BOAT)
Make
a bull boat cover using strong but bendable twigs, canvas or other waterproof
material. Attach tie downs if needed. If the bundle is tight and the cover
is properly adjusted and tied, a bull boat is not needed during most rain
showers, but heavy down- pours may require a bull boat cover.
DRIP ROPES
Tie as many drip ropes as needed just below the crotch with a bucket tied under the loop. Use the water for cooking and drinking.
FLOOD MOAT
Take care to place your tipi in a location where water will quickly roll away. As extra insurance, dig a 6" X 6" moat around the tipi with an outlet ditch at the back. Pile the dirt between the tipi and the moat.
TIPI PAINTING TIPS
http://www.manataka.org/page191.html
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Never store a wet tipi. Make sure it perfectly dry before storing - mold will rot the canvas.
Do not store in an air-tight container - allow the container to 'breath'.
Immediately repair any cuts or tears to the cover or they may spread. Keep a repair kit (canvas and sinew) handy in case of a tear.
Large inside fires are unnecessary and dangerous.
Keep a water bucket inside just in case a spark gets loose.
Use only debarked poles to prevent tears to the cover.
In case of rain, dig a small trench around the tipi with an outlet in the back leading downhill. Or stack hay bales around the outside.
Sprinkle hay around on the inside to collect moisture before laying down plastic ground cover.
Occasionally 'smoke' the tipi using green twigs to prevent bug infestation.
Occasionally treat the cover to prevent mildew, rot and insect infestation.
SUGGESTED PROTOCOLS
Remove Shoes before entering.
Move clockwise around the fire.
Never walk between a person and the fire pit (symbolic of the Creator).
Eldest person enters first followed by the next eldest, youngest enters last.
Guests sit on the left, family on the right.
Never allow guests to touch anything without permission of the Elder.
Speak only with permission of the Elder. Loud talk is discouraged.
OTHER TIPS
http://www.manataka.org/page186.html
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WISDOM
By
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Illustrated by the
author
This comprehensive and beautifully illustrated handbook was written by Ellsworth Jaeger in 1945. Jaeger was a faculty member of the Buffalo Museum of Science and an authority on American Indian lore and camping. Wildwood Wisdom is dedicated not just to the spirit of “our ancestral buckskin men,” but also to the native Americans who willingly taught the white newcomers the basic necessities of life and survival in this new land. Jaeger spent many summers in the outdoors and led woodcraft groups throughout the country. His book is addressed mainly to campers, with information on clothes and gear, making fires, and a wonderful section on shelters made with hand-gathered materials. But it can also be read for historical accuracy, a well-researched account of life in America in the 1800s, when survival depended not only on coping with daily perils, but also on one’s ability to use wits as well as hands for survival. There’s much more on providing life’s basics: food, shelter and clothing. How to skin a bear, blaze a trail, cook flap-jacks on a flat rock. Plants that are edible, plants that are poisonous, and plants that are medicinal. How to portage a canoe, pack a mule or build a bed in the woods out of willows; wisdom needed for survival in the woods when they were wild. Jaeger wrote this book during the latter part of World War II, when fear, dishonor, horror, treachery and death” filled people’s minds. At such a time, he felt, knowing something about this great American folklore was increasingly important to people of this land. At such a time the serenity and peace of the wilderness were never more dear to the hearts of men.” Now, more than 50 years later, one might say that Jaeger’s premise is even more relevant. In these times of great international turmoil, when the earth’s very life-sustaining atmosphere is threatened by a multitude of human-generated forces, this tribute to the wisdom of a much less energy-intensive way of life could provide example as well as inspiration for a greater respect for the natural forces of life on this planet. "A comprehensive and readable handbook.” The New York Times. "A fully indexed guide for the experienced camper . . . a wise and valuable book” - The Horn Book. Shelter Publications, 1992 ISBN 0936070129 Soft Cover, 491 pages, 5" x 8", $ 17.95 + s/h
