How Many Indians Can You Fit Into a Tipi?

We are studying Native Americans. Most homeschoolers I know, if they were studying Indians, might read some books about different tribes, make some popcorn or jerky and possibly even build a replica of an adobe hut. My family has built a tipi.

This tipi is not from a kit, nor is it your run-of-the-mill, 6 foot tall standard tipi. Dh and ds have spent days chopping down saplings to build it. They said they wanted it to be authentic, just like the Indians would have made. I've joined them in the woods as they've painstakingly selected the straightest trees to build the frame, cutting down beautiful oaks and birchtrees. I watched as they erected the frame, pole by pole in a shape that somewhat resembles a circle but more closely mimics an egg. And I tried not to comment when they starting tying the poles together at the top, ran out of rope and ended up using duct tape.

Yesterday, the structure was finished. It is big enough to hold a few elephants and one very tall giraffe. I'm not kidding! It's enormous and sitting right in the middle of our driveway, perfectly visible from the road. I've observed onlookers practically going into the ditch as they look up to the top of our hill at this monstrosity. In it's primitive state, with no cover over it, the tipi frame looked like some sort of pagan, sacrificial monument, complete with duct taped supports.

Dh said he was going to go to the Army surplus store and get an old tent to use to cover the tipi. I warned him that something that big was not going to be cheap so he called first. The size tent he needed was going to cost $1600! He decided to go to the local tool store, where he found a 30' x 30' gray tarp for minimal cost. He and ds worked for hours trying to arrange the square tarp over the circular (and I use that term very loosely) structure. Finally, they had it situated the way they wanted it and it fits surprisingly well, except for a few "air vents" where the tarp wouldn't reach the ground. They have staked it in place and placed rocks where necessary to keep the tarp secure. Now when people drive by they undoubtedly think we've erected a missle silo.

The kids spent the afternoon making mocassins from kits we ordered and we're planning on having a pow-wow, searching for arrowheads, and going to visit the buffalo farm near us. This truly is homeschooling at its best but I'm a little nervous about our next subject, the moon!