Wiikiaami home model

Description:	Long ago, before trade brought different goods and lifeways to this region, Native Peoples of the Woodland area made their homes, wiikiaami, from strong wood frames with natural coverings. This contemporary model was made from the traditional materials of maple saplings, for the frame, cattails or bulrush, for the mats, and birchbark, for the bark exterior. This is a model of the type of home an average-sized family lived in. Cooking could be done inside or outside. A fire was always lit inside for warmth or for cooking. A special hole was made in the roof and a mat propped open for ventilation. Household objects were placed on a shelf or hung from the framework. Benches were used for sitting and sleeping platforms. This model was created by Gwen Yeaman, a descendant of the Odawa (Ottawa) tribe of the Great Lakes region and of the Penobscot tribe of Maine. Because of her special connection to and understanding of plants, a spiritual leader gave her the Miami name Meda Kikalakaniqua (Medicine Basket Woman). She constructed the model from the natural materials found near her home in Indianapolis, Indiana. She sculpted many of the props herself and purchased others from a craft shop.
Source:	http://www.digitalindy.org/cdm/ref/collection/tcm/id/1514
Collection:	The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Rights:	https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/;
Copyright:	Creative Commons (CC By-SA 3.0);
Subjects:	Indians of North America -- Dwellings Woodland Indians

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