Wigwam of the Future
In this class we learned about the Abenaki tribes that lived in the New Hampshire woods and re-created their traditional structure, the wigwam, at full size. We began by building the structural framework using trees sustainably harvested from the local area, just as the Abenaki did. We then introduced new features to our wigwam, covering it with newer materials like lightweight plastics scavenged from the nearby area. We installed a skylight, homemade furniture and electric lighting. Our wigwam became a portrait of the community it was built in, and a work of site-specific art deeply related to it's environment on many levels.