Longhouse

Longhouses are a type of Islander house. They are a place for families and for individuals, a place to rest after a long day, to sleep safely in at night, to huddle in for warmth.

Architecture

Longhouses are usually made out of woven reeds and stripped wood poles. They have a curved roof which stretches without interruption into the walls to the ground. Flat reed walls cover the ends. Doors are usually made out of reed, bark or hide curtains.

Raised wooden shelves the size of beds line the sides of the longhouse. Some are raised above each other, forming bunk beds. Others are used as storage for clothing, tools and family items. A row of firepits extend from end to end. Small holes in the roof let out the smoke. There are room-like sections to provide some privacy. They are separated by walls coming out from the side with about a four-feet space between where they would connect, providing a doorway to the next section.

History

Longhouses began as huts clumped close together for protection. With the cold winter winds and the chilling mists of the Southern Archipelago, heat is essential and traveling outside is extremely undesirable. This lead Islanders to connect the huts to allow for easy access from one hut to the next, protection from the cold and prevention of any possible heat loss. Eventually, when building new houses, instead of connecting them after the fact, Islanders would simply build a long structure with walls inside.

Alternative Names

Nsegakwei

Type

House

Parent Location

Southern Archipelago

Owning Organization

K'hili Nation