Canadian Teepee Sales


Assiniboine Tipi The conical shelter known as wigwam has been developed by the Eastern Woodland Indians. They used poles to form a frame which was then covered with large sheets of birch bark. When tribes such as the Sioux, Arapaho, and Cheyenne moved to the Plains, they became nomadic to follow the buffalo herds. They had to adapt the wigwam to their new way of life. Birch bark was not longer available, it was replaced by buffalo hides sewn together. Smoke flaps were also added to keep the wind from blowing into the tipi, filling it with smoke. The tipi, well adapted to the life on the Plains, was a comfortable shelter. It could be taken down quickly and packed on a travois, to be put up again elsewhere in a short time.
The traditional tipi is not a true cone, it is tilted, leaning towards the back, or West. The floor plan is shaped like an egg, longer from the back to the door, and shorter from side to side. The location of fireplace is off-center, closer to the door, leaving more space t the back of the lodge. There are several known tipi styles, most use the 3-pole foundation, others have a 4-pole foundation.

Canadian Teepee Styles - Copyright Assiniboine Tipis
Our Teepee Styles
Our teepees are based on a tripod frame, meaning that we use a base made by three poles tied together when we start to put the frame together. All the other poles rest on these three poles. It is the easiest way to pitch up a good looking teepee
Once done, the teepee leans backwards: the back is actually a bit shorter than the front (door). This shape make it more resistant to strong winds, it also allows smoke to pass between the poles.

The Woodland Teepee(1) vs Grassland Teepee (2)
Both are based on tripod frames, however the Woodland teepee has shorter but higher smoke flaps while the smoke flaps of the Grassland teepee are longer and narrower. Below you can see an example of both styles.

Which One To Choose?
As their names say it well, we recommend the Grassland teepee for open areas, and the Woodland teepee for forested places, it is the perfect choice for the boreal forest and for the tundra.


Woodland Canadian Teepee
Woodland Style
Grassland Canadian Teepee
Grassland Style