Homes

The buffalo skins played an important part in the Sioux shelters. Before the skins could be used they had to be treated. First the hides were tied to a frame. Then the flesh and hair were scraped off. When the hides were clean, the inside was rubbed with a mixture of liver, fat, and brains. This was done many times and then washed in a stream. Finally, they pulled the hides back and forth through a loop of rope to soften them. Then the women would sew the hides together. They used buffalo sinews for thread. The hides were then decorated with paintings of the Sioux culture. Now the hides were ready to be used for the covering of the tipi.

Women made most of the tipis. They tied three poles together at the top and spread them out at the bottom. Next, they would rest eight to ten poles against the frame to make it stronger. The women would then cover the frame with the beautifully painted buffalo skin. They would also stake the skin into the ground so that it wouldn't fly off. Finally, they would put the poles into the ground to hold the smoke flaps back.

The Sioux camps were set up in a circular orderly fashion. The inside circle consisted of the chiefs and more important people. Next were the more average members of the tribe. And lastly, on the outside, the warriors. They were on the outside to protect the tribe from attacks. They were setup like many other tribes.