Nico and I started collecting supplies for this structure in the early summer with a plan to build a half buried ground insulated structure located beside the wigwam. However the ground proved too wet so we decided to construct this simpler wigiup (not entirely a wikiup cause it resembles a wigwam in some ways so i call it a wigiup). I wanted to build it in the near by forest where the soil is still clay but holds far less moisture. Supposedly many NE NA natives built their winter shelters like we had planned, half underground but in forests. In time we may use this bark to build the underground shelter we planned but i think we will do best to build it in well drained sandy soil to prevent molding. I do believe that some mold would be inevitable in underground earth structures except i think it would quite livable in winter with with the cold temperatures, smoke and dry heat from the fires. However i can imagine this may be one of the reasons why separate summer above shelters were constructed ?
This wiguip was built between September and December of 2010.
Thanks to Nico, Mike, Yvette, Julie, Myra, Gerry, Tracey, Myra, Aksana and Liam who helped make this happen.
