What did an Apache home look like?

Traditional, historical Apache homes included teepees and wigwams, also called wikiups. Purpose influenced which type of shelter the tribe needed, which explains the different construction methods and materials. Lightweight teepees suited the Apaches' nomadic lives during hunting season, while sturdier wigwams were more permanent structures.

Buffalo hides covering a light frame made of poles represents the familiar cone-shaped teepee. Easy to set up and take down, teepees allowed the Apache buffalo hunters to break camp and relocate quickly. Outside of hunting seasons, Apache tribes used slender young trees to build the dome-shaped wigwam frame. The builders put bark or grass on the frame, making a more permanent structure.