A tip

A tip (also tepe and teepe ) is a conical tent, traditionally made of animal skins, and wooden poles The tipi was used by the nomadic tribes of the Great Plains Tipis are stereotypically associated with Native Americans in the United States in general, however Native Americans from places other than the Great Plains mostly used different types of dwellings . The tipi is durable, provides warmth and comfort in winter,[11] is cool in the heat of summer,[note 2] and is dry during heavy rains.[12] [13] Tipis could be disassembled and packed away quickly when a tribe decided to move and could be reconstructed quickly upon settling in a new area This portability was important to Plains Indians with their nomadic lifestyle

Modern tipi covers are usually made of canvas.[1] Contemporary users of tipis include historical reenactors , back-to-the-land devotees, and Native American families attending powwows or encampments who wish to preserve and pass on a part of their heritage and tradition

A totem is a being, object, or symbol representing an animal or plant that serves as an emblem of a group of people , such as a family , clan , group, lineage, or tribe , reminding them of their ancestry (or mythic past In kinship and descent , if the apical ancestor of a clan is nonhuman, it is called a totem. Normally this belief is accompanied by a totemic myth.

Although the term is of Ojibwe origin in North America , totemistic beliefs are not limited to Native Americans and Aboriginal peoples in Canada . Similar totem-like beliefs have been historically present in societies throughout much of the world, including Africa, Arabia, Asia, Australia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and the Arctic polar region.

In modern times, some single individuals, not otherwise involved in the practice of a tribal religion, have chosen to adopt a personal spirit animal helper, which has special meaning to them, and may refer to this as a totem. This non-traditional usage of the term is prevalent in the New Age movement and the mythopoetic men's movement

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