Mary Alyce Reddick, age 9, of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, for her question:

Is a wigwam the same as a tepee?

Wigwams and tepees are both places to live, but they are different. Tepees were built by the American Indians who lived in the West and those who wandered across the Great Plains. Wigwams were built by the American Indians who lived around the Great Lakes and in the eastern part of the country. The people used what they could find to build their homes to suit their way of life.

A tepee is a sort of pointed tent. Tall, straight poles are cut and trimmed. They are set in a circle and meet in a point at the top. Skins and hides of animals are stretched over this wooden framework, leaving flaps to let in the air and an opening for the door. Smoke from the cooking fire goes up through cracks around the top.

A wigwam is a sturdy cabin made to cope with wintry weather. Its framework is an oblong of poles with more poles arched over the top. It is covered with layers of bark, mats made of rushes and maybe an outside layer of thick, warm hides.