We Tahltans were always a practical people. Long ago, when we came to designing our houses, we needed ones that would fit our lifestyle. The house had to be sturdy, so that it did not require much upkeep. Since we traveled so much, there was not much time for taking care of our houses. Also, we were not always around to make sure that it was being cared for. If we took our homes with us, they had to be light and portable. And, because we depended on the land for our lives, our houses must not cause damage to our environment.

So we built houses that were "environmentally friendly". They were made of materials available in our surroundings: wood, roots, bark, and mud. When we were done with our houses, they disintegrated and returned to the earth. Today there is nothing left of the old houses, except for a few smokehouses. Our ancestors built two basic houses: lean-to's and smokehouses. They also made temporary shelters in the summer or while on the trail. Temporary shelters were made of brush covered with skin, or they might make small lean-to's. These shelters were used very little and were quick to make and easy to set up.

A typical lean-to

Our basic type of house was the lean-to. This type of house was perfect for our way of life in the early days when we travelled a lot on foot. It could be built easily with materials from the bush. When we moved on to another part of our area and did not need it, the lean-to disintegrated and returned to the earth. When it became part of the earth again, there was no "garbage" left.

This lean-to has a hide roof

Sometimes people think that all natives live in teepees. This is not true. If you think about the type of land in our Tahltan country, you would understand that a teepee was not practical. Our land is not flat, but hilly, full of ravines, rivers in deep canyons, foothills, and mountains. A teepee is made up of long poles (maybe 4 m or 12 feet long) covered with skins. Imagine trying to drag these poles through our rough land! The skins needed to cover the long poles would be very heavy Ñ much too heavy to carry. And we did not have horses to help us.

Lean-to's were made of logs. They varied in size, but the basic structure was the same. Larger lean-to's were built to provide a shelter which would last for several weeks to months. These were often constructed in our winter villages. Smaller ones were built for a few days to a few weeks.

The permanent lean-to's were sturdy. First, earth was scraped away from the area to a depth of about 35-45 cm or 15-18 inches. Two large logs were placed on top of each other at the back of the lean-to. These two logs formed a low wall. Two larger, peeled logs were set upright a few metres (yard) apart. A third log was prepared and set on top of these to form a crossbeam. These three logs formed the front of the lean-to. Smaller, peeled logs were placed close together rested on the crossbeam and the two logs at the back of the structure. These logs made a slanted log roof. The roof would be covered with spruce bark. Mud was plastered over the bark so that water would run off easily. Evergreen boughs were placed on top of these in winter so that snow could be shaken off.

The side walls were made of logs leaned against the roof. These were chinked with moss. In winter the chinking was done thoroughly. Chinking provided insulation and prevented cold drafts. If the lean-to was to be used for a longer period of time or in the winter, greater care was taken in its construction.

Building even such a simple shelter was difficult and required much hard work to prepare the logs. If possible, the shelter was planned in advance. By planning ahead, the logs would be cut and have time to dry. It did not take as long to build the lean-to if the logs were prepared. In early years logs were cut with stone axes; later, metal axes were used. The use of metal axes reduced the amount of time and effort it took to fall a tree.

A lean-to could be built any size

Building even such a simple shelter was difficult and required much hard work to prepare the logs. If possible, the shelter was planned in advance. By planning ahead, the logs would be cut and have time to dry. It did not take as long to build the lean-to if the logs were prepared.

In early years logs were cut with stone axes; later, metal axes were used. The use of metal axes reduced the amount of time and effort it took to fall a tree.

A solidly-built winter house was very large, perhaps 18 m or 55 feet by 20 m or 60 feet. It was large enough to house 15 to 25 people. Both summer and winter houses of this type were made of two lean-to's facing each other with a space between them. In winter, to prevent wind from whipping through the opening, one side was covered with branches. The campfire was built in the middle, between the two lean-to's. Smoke from this cooking and warming campfire rose up between the buildings.

Inside the lean-to, things like snowshoes, bows and arrows (and guns), and traps were hung on the walls. This kept them tidy as well as protecting them from dogs. It was a way to store things without building shelves like we use today. Other things, such as bundles of food, clothing, and other personal belongings were kept in bags and placed along the walls of the house or at the back of the shelter.

Beds were made of spruce boughs covered with hides scraped with the hair left on. These hides were caribou, moose or sheep. Fur blankets of marmot, lynx, fox, and squirrel finished off the beds. With a fire burning, and warm fur blankets, Eva Carlick said that a lean-to was very comfortable!

We understand that our earliest Tahltan houses were a combination smokehouse and house. A smokehouse was built with four walls and a peaked roof. Its shape was (and still is) similar to most modern houses.

Smokehouses were quite large. They were about 12 m square or 40 feet square. This was big enough to house 15 to 20 people. Family groups used the smokehouse as living quarters while they put up salmon. It is said that smaller houses, similar to smokehouses, were sometimes used for some winter houses. This type of winter house was chinked and mudded to protect against the cold of winter.

Packs, bundles of fur, and personal belongings were set around the inside edges of the smokehouse. Things, such as hunting equipment, were hung on the walls to keep them organized. Dogs were not allowed into the smokehouse since the salmon must be kept clean. As in the lean-to, hanging things on the wall was a way of storing without building shelves. Shelves would take up valuable space and building them would take up time. Bedding of scraped caribou, moose, or sheep hide were placed on beds of spruce boughs.

Four small fire were always kept burning in a smokehouse, one in each corner. These fires were mainly to provide a smudge to keep flies off the fish. They were could used for cooking meals, although meals were usually cooked on outdoor campfires. Sometimes small lean-to's were built on each side of the campfire.

How to Build a Smokehouse:

Although there have been some changes to our smokehouses over the years, the basic design has remained the same. These houses were built to allow our salmon to dry for winter use. That means the roof must be watertight. The fish inside must not be allowed to get wet or they will be spoiled and unfit for food. The walls must allow airflow to dry the fish. At the same time, blowing dust must be kept out.

The traditional way to build the smokehouse was to use six flat stones as support for the building. These stones were placed at four corners and at the centre front and centre back of the building.

A typical smokehouse

The frame of the house had four corner posts about 25 - 30 cm or about a foot in diameter. Two longer posts were placed at the centre back and centre front to form the peak of the roof. The corner posts were grooved to hold the logs which formed the crosspieces and supported the roof. The walls were made of peeled saplings 8-12 cm or 3-5 inches in diameter. They were driven into the ground or rested on a base log. The saplings were held in place by being lashed into place with withes of willow bark or spruce roots. These were not placed tightly together so that air could blow through easily.

The roof frame is made of ridgepole at the centre front and back supports and supporting diagonal side beams. The roof is formed by lashing peeled poles to the sidebeams. These are placed every 30-60 cm or 1-2 feet or so. Spruce bark and brush was placed across these and were held in place by saplings. This covering allows rain to run off and makes the roof watertight. That keeps the inside of the building (and the salmon) dry.

There are additional support beams on the inside of the building. These have peeled saplings hung between them at varying levels from low to high. These saplings are to hold fish. As the fish dry, they are placed on higher bars. These bars were also used for hanging equipment, etc.

A narrow doorway with a door or gate kept the dogs out. To finish the house, leafy branches are placed on the outside walls. In this way, dust is kept out of the smokehouse.

The floor was usually earth. Sometimes gravel would be spread over the floor if needed for cleanliness, but it was usually not necessary.

Long ago, when a Family wanted to build a new smokehouse, they planned far ahead. They had to cut the larger trees and the saplings. These had to be hauled to the site and peeled before any building could take place. In her doctoral thesis, Sylvia Albright estimated that a smokehouse 12 m on one side or 36 feet, would need about 800 poles. Six stones of the correct size and shape would be searched for and taken to the site. A project of this size required a great many metres (yards) of lashing which was made from spruce roots or willow.

In the days when stone axes were used, preparing logs and saplings was a very, very time-consuming job. Everyone in the Family group helped out as much as they could. Even children helped. They could peel logs, for example. With all the people helping, it still took several weeks to complete a smokehouse. Nowadays, with modern equipment, like chainsaws, a smaller smokehouse would take 3 men about 3-4 days to finish.

Today, we still use smokehouses. Some of the older versions at Tahltan fishing site are still in operation. However, instead of being a communal or Family group smokehouse, these are for the use of individual family units. Other Tahltans are building modern, smaller smokehouses along the Stikine River.

These modern smokehouses have the same basic design as older ones, but are made using modern tools and materials. Chainsaws, hammers, nails, commercial roofing, or commercially sawn boards make the construction of smokehouses much easier. You will still see spaces between upright poles which form the walls, so air can flow through. The roof is watertight and small fires inside still create a smudge to keep flies away. This is an example of how we Tahltans have adapted our old ways and methods, using newer equipment and materials to make our life easier.

Individual-sized Houses

Small, one-person sized lean-to's were built basically the same as other lean-to's. These little houses were mainly for women during their menstruation cycle and during birth. When teenage girls had their first period, they were sent to live apart in one of these houses as part of their puberty ritual. The houses were set up about 100 m (or 300) feet from the main group. When a woman's husband died, she retreated to an individual house, a widow's house, which was also set apart from the others.

Sweat Lodges Sweat lodges were built near a stream in every village. Sometimes a sweatlodge was large enough to hold 10 people; usually it was small, for only a few people. They were built by putting skin over a willow dome-shaped frame. Inside a slight depression was made in the ground to hold heated rocks. Water sprinkled on the heated rocks created steam. The sweat lodge was used for general cleansing and for ritual purification, such as before a battle. Sometimes men and women shared the same sweat lodge, sometimes they were separate.

The frame of a sweatlodge

Gravehouses

There were several different types of gravehouses which were built to hold charred bones following cremation. The bones were placed in a skin bag. In later years, the bones were put into a wooden box, or in a trunk. A platform was built on top of a crib of logs held the container holding the bones. In very early days, no covering or roof was placed over the bones.

A Tahltan grave house

As times changed, the types of gravehouses also changed. We see Tlingit-type gravehouses, which were little houses. One type was square with a four-sided roof and windows. Another type had a peaked roof. Some graves had gravehouses decorated with carved clan symbols. Some were painted. Some have picket fences. Some rectangular grave houses still stand in the graveyard at Telegraph Creek.

Caches Caches have always been used by our people to protect food and property from animals (and/or raiding war parties). The simplest caches were made of bags tied high in a tree. Later small houses made of logs were built on posts to hold it above the ground. A ladder or a notched pole ladder was used to climb to the cache. When the ladders were not needed, they were left on the ground. In the late 1800's, early 1900's, each house had a cache behind their house.

A log cache

Dog Houses

Before about 1860, we did not provide a separate shelter for our dogs. Dogs were left outdoors in the summer. In the winter, they were allowed inside the lean-to. However, they did not require much protection from the cold because their coats grew long and thick in the cold.

After dog teams were introduced, a log shelter was built in to a slope. Or a low house about 2 m or 6 feet square was built and banked with earth. The dog houses were said to look like little caves. These dog shelters were built near the family home.

Houses

For most of the year, we live in houses "like everyone else". When we are not on the road traveling, or camping, or hunting, we have homes in apartments or single-dwelling homes. Practically all of us have indoor plumbing, running water, central heating, and other conveniences.

The skills we need to build or maintain our houses are very different from the skills needed by our ancestors. We face problems that are different from those of our ancestors also. For example, we learn how to keep our houses clean (germfree). We also learn how to dispose of our garbage. Except for metal tools (knives, for instance), our ancestors did not have anything that would not go back to the earth.

Temporary Houses

When non-native fur traders and gold miners entered our territory, they brought tents made of heavy canvas. Tents suited our territory so well that they are still used today. Four-walled tents have four low walls and a peaked roof. The four-walled tent takes time to set up, since they need a pole frame.

The frame for this tent was made of a ridgepole, diagonal poles at the front and back of the tent, and side poles tied to the diagonal poles. When traveling, only the canvas tent is carried. The poles are cut and the frame built whenever the tent is set up. In order to create a more permanent structure, a floor, low walls, and a wooden frame are built of sawn lumber.

This type of tent is fairly heavy, especially when the tent is large. Smaller, lighter tents were probably used in early days since they had to be carried on the back. In the winter, the tent would have been hauled on dogsleds. When motorized vehicles were brought in, tents of any size were hauled in the vehicle. However, there were no roads to traplines or summer hunting areas, so other forms of transportation were needed to carry cross country. Horses were used more and more, especially in the big game business. Motorized all-terrain vehicles have been more popular in modern times. The use of horses and/or these vehicles means that the size of the tent and gear is limited only by the type of transportation being used.

A canvas tent

Today, we buy our tents from stores or the catalogue. Certain mail order firms specialize in equipment for outdoor living. Tents of any size, shape, and material can be found. So, if you are backpacking, there are one- or two-person tents. Or if you are driving to your camp, then any size of tent will do. Four-walled tents are also still in use.

We Tahltans still like to move about and take our houses with us. In the summer, it is not unusual to find a camp set up along water in our country. You might see colourful tent in many sizes, white canvas four-wall tents, tent trailers, and/or any variation of motorized campers and motorhomes. It is clear that many of us still enjoy outdoor living, but now we do it in more "comfort" than our ancestors enjoyed!