Yehakin

A yehakin (also spelled yihakan, meaning "house" in the Powhatan language) is a dwelling that was traditionally used by the Powhatan and Pamunkey Native American tribes of Virginia. It is a type of longhouse constructed from wooden frames and covered with reed mats or bark, forming a rounded roof. The 17th-century historian William Strachey thought since bark was harder to acquire, families of higher status likely owned the bark-covered houses. In summer, when the heat and humidity increased, the people could roll up or remove the mat walls for better air circulation.[1] The yehakins were traditionally built by women.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Rountree, Helen C. (1989). The Powhatan Indians of Virginia: Their Traditional Culture. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 9780806124551.
  2. ^ Holowchak, M. Andrew; Holowchak, David M. (1 March 2021). A "Biography" of Lynchburg: City with a Soul. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5275-6688-0.
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