Native American Architecture

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Native American architecture is often associated with structures like wigwams, tipis, iglus, and pueblos, but it encompasses a much broader range of building traditions. These structures serve various purposes, including sleeping, working, worshipping, and honoring the dead, reflecting the full spectrum of Indian life. This book presents a comprehensive, fully illustrated exploration of North American Indian architecture, the first of its kind in over a century. Authors Peter Nabokov and Robert Easton delve into the building traditions of major tribes across nine regional areas, from the plank-house villages of the Northwest Coast to the moundbuilder towns of the Southeast and the Navajo hogans of the Southwest. They provide a holistic view of Native American culture, examining how architecture interacts with social mores, environmental factors, and religious beliefs. Each chapter highlights traditional building practices that are either being revived or are at risk of disappearing. The volume is enriched with historical photographs, drawings, architectural renderings, and interpretive diagrams that elucidate the sacred cosmology of key house types, offering readers a deeper understanding of Native American architectural heritage.