Wampanoag Homes

The Wampanoag tribes lived in "wetus" (the Wampanoag word for wigwams). The wetus were small homes made of wooden frames made from saplings and then covered with sheets of elm bark. Once the sheets of bark were added, ropes and strips of wood were used to hold the bark in place. Another home that the Wampanoag lived in was the longhouse. A longhouse was like a wetu except it was much longer and took more time to build. Some longhouses could hold several families. They had two levels for sleeping. An opening(s) in the roof would allow for smoke to rise up out of the wetu or longhouse.