Native American architecture—Great Basin
Native American architecture in the Great Basin region, which encompasses much of present-day Utah and Nevada, reflects the nomadic lifestyle and environmental adaptations of its Indigenous inhabitants. The architecture is characterized by the wickiup, a cone-shaped dwelling made from forked branches and covered with grass and brush. This structure was versatile, serving as a place for sleeping, cooking, and storage, and could either remain in place or be transported as families moved in search of resources. In addition to wickiups, Great Basin tribes constructed grass huts during the summer, resembling open-sided tents, and more substantial frame homes in winter, which were often covered with mud thatch for insulation. The architectural styles were influenced by neighboring tribes, leading to the incorporation of elements such as tipis, earthlodges, and adobe structures. Along the Colorado River, unique sand-roofed homes built on poles featured excavated floors and served multiple purposes, including food storage and social gatherings. Overall, the architectural practices of Great Basin tribes reveal a deep connection to their environment and a resourceful approach to transient living.
Subject Terms
Native American architecture—Great Basin
Tribes affected: Bannock, Gosiute, Kawaiisu, Mono, Numaga, Paiute, Shoshone, Ute, Walapai, Washoe
Significance: In the sparsely populated Great Basin region, American Indians lived in grass huts, wickiups, tipis, or low, flat-roofed houses
The Great Basin area north of the Colorado River, basically comprising present-day Utah and Nevada, mostly consists of hot, dry desert and continental steppe. The Indians inhabiting this wide area never settled long in one place but constantly moved about in search of fresh food sources. For all but those Indians living along the Colorado River, mobility was a significant factor in the design of their dwellings.
The Paiute made a fiber structure known as the wickiup with small forked branches twisted into the shape of a small cone or dome and then covered with grass and brush with an open door space. This structure was used for sleeping, cooking, and storage, as well as for protection from the sun. The wickiup was either left in place when they moved or carried with them to a new location. In the hot summer, Great Basin Indians also made grass huts with a center ridgepole, slanted roof, open ends, and open side walls made of vertical poles; they looked much like an open-sided tent. In the winter, frame homes near the foothills were covered with mud thatch for greater protection and warmth.
Those who lived near other geographical regions often borrowed the architectural styles of the neighboring Indian tribes. Structures included the tipi of the Plains, the earthlodge of California, the adobe of the Southwest, and the pit house of the Plateau.
Along the Colorado River, Indians developed low, flat sand-roofed homes built on poles with excavated floors. The roofs were used for food storage and socializing as well as for protection. These houses also included open ramadas for additional living space.