Native American Architecture

by Peter Nabokov, Robert Easton

For many people, Native American architecture calls to mind the wigwam, tipi, iglu, and pueblo. Yet the richly diverse building traditions of Native Americans encompass much more, including specific structures for sleeping, working, worshipping, meditating, playing, dancing, lounging, giving birth, decision-making, cleansing, storing and preparing food, caring for animals, and honoring the dead. In effect, the architecture covers all facets of Indian life.

The collaboration between an architect and an anthropologist, Native American Architecture presents the first book-length, fully illustrated exploration of North American Indian architecture to appear in over a century. Peter Nabokov and Robert Easton together examine the building traditions of the major tribes in nine regional areas of the continent from the huge plank-house villages of the Northwest Coast to the moundbuilder towns and temples of the Southeast, to the Navajo hogans and adobe pueblos of the Southwest. Going beyond a traditional survey of buildings, the book offers a broad, clear view into the Native American world, revealing a new perspective on the interaction between their buildings and culture. Looking at Native American architecture as more than buildings, villages, and camps, Nabokov and Easton also focus on their use of space, their environment, their social mores, and their religious beliefs.

Each chapter concludes with an account of traditional Indian building practices undergoing a revival or in danger today. The volume also includes a wealth of historical photographs and drawings (including sixteen pages of color illustrations), architectural renderings, and specially prepared interpretive diagrams which decode the sacred cosmology of the principal house types.

Genres: Architecture, Native American, History, Indigenous, Nonfiction, Design

432 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Peter Nabokov is professor of American Indian Studies and World Arts and Cultures at UCLA. His previous books include A Forest of Time, Native American Testimony, Native American Architecture (with Robert Easton), Indian Running, Two Leggings: The Making of a Crow Warrior, and Architecture of Acoma Pueblo

Reviews

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This took me forEVER to read. It was like this: read 1 page, think and imagine what their life was like for 10 minutes, repeat. It is so much more than just a description of the many different types of homes. Everything about the culture of the early Native Americans was incorporated in the design and building of their living spaces. Religious beliefs played an especially important role in the construction, even down to which direction the entrance would face. I also learned a lot about their social practices, food sources and preparation, and locally available building materials. Fascinating historical photos and drawings are included on every page. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about early Native American culture.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

What started out as a "Oh this looks good" to "Wow, this is really fantastic stuff". I checked out this book for a mapmaking project and was surprised at the level of detail in the culture, layout and photographs of the various structures in Native American tribes. Both living and sacred spaces are covered - definitely an excellent resource!

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book on primitive building techniques that I've found so far. And some of the photos are pretty awesome.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW.. I am embarrassed that I was not aware of the wide variety of great Native American structures. With all of the western movies, most of us in the West are familiar with the Pueblos, Tipis, Hogans & Wickiups. I did not know about the wide variety of innovative craftmanship and planning achievements of the Villages and adaptive structures… The Pit houses, the Longhouses, the Grass homes, the Earth Lodges, the Plank houses, Hogans, etc. This book extraordinary and is rich in information, photos, plans, details and history – so much so, that it takes a while to absorb it all.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

The written authority on Native American architecture.

There is no better source of information on ALL of the building forms native to North America. This history is particularly pertinent in a world where sustainable and contextually relevant architecture are becoming more and more important and en vouge.

[M Snider · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book about the wide variety of indigenous architecture in the US and Canada. Copiously illustrated with drawings and historic photographs (many from the 19th century). A must read for anyone interested in architecture or place-making.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a surprisingly thorough and detailed account of individual building architecture, sacred spaces, and village space design. It uses historical and archeological documentation as well as the authors experiences travelling across North America and interviewing native peoples and experiencing their traditional living styles. Lots of photos and drawings to help illustrate the concepts.

[Olivia Arrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing photographs and descriptions of Native American structures. Quite fascinating. Maps of the regions and lists of tribes and languages as well.

[Tammeron Jonesfrancis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basic Text

[Christopher Cucco]

Please read!

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book.