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Living in the Round
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Indigenous nomadic peoples, from the freezing Asian steppes to the windswept plains and deserts of the Americas have, since the dawn of prehistory, held sacred the belief of living or worshiping within the sacred circle. Whether it was a tipi, kiva, igloo, yurt, or wickiup, or hogan, the idea of a symbolic circle was basic to their concept of a balanced existence. A circle represents both movement and completion to nomadic people, just as the seasons of the year are part of the circle, or cycle we call a "year." Nomadic hunter/gatherer peoples had objectives in their journeys- following game and the ripening foods as they matured and were ready to harvest. Their wanderings were not linear with some abstract goal that was never reached, but harmonized with the cyclic pattern of the seasons. Even the Pueblo Indians, who now live a settled, agricultural life and dwell in multilevel apartment-style homes of earth, wood, and rock, fill the need for a sacred circle space with underground ceremonial kivas. These humble, yet culture affirming wombs in Mother Earth serve as places of purposeful worship and education. Educated anthropologists speculate that kivas have evolved from the circular pit houses and storage bins they once used as they migrated from their homes in the south. But then, what do anthropologists really understand about interconnectedness and cyclic existence? Native Peoples, in jest, say white people have lawyers to drive them crazy, while they have anthropologists! In modern times, Buckmaster Fuller projected a geometric view of circular living into our reality with the Bucky ball. Structurally sound geodesic domes have found ready acceptance in this technological age as inexpensive space enclosures. Trust scientists and techies to disdain portable shelters, yet embrace an immobile geodesic structure that can be described in such glowing terms as, "having a surface formed of straight bars in a grid of polygons" or "designating the shortest line between two points on a curved surface!" For those who understand the sacredness of the circle, (apparently the Creator's favored form of expression) it is enough to say "one eternal round" (circle), signifying the perfection of creation and the acceptance of our inherent place and purpose within the great web of life. My own experience within the sacred circle has centered on the Plains tipi, but several summers ago I drove my family down to Sedona, Arizona to participate in a yurt building seminar. Under the direction of Blue Evening Star, author of the how-to book "Tipis and Yurts" we learned the mysterious secrets of yurt construction. This very capable lady had been making and raising portable dwellings for almost twenty years and operates Living Shelter Crafts that sells made-to-order tipis and yurts, or if customers so choose, simply supplies them with the best materials available to do the work themselves. I want to emphasize the word 'work' in emphatic terms! Eager customers include a wide range of folks who purchase their new moveable shelters for a variety of purposes. Not all buyers are nomadic or country oriented- some just want an extra room for guests, office space, an exhibit tent, or a play house for their children. Most, however, want to get closer to nature. Some hardy and independent folks choose to live year-round (with liner and insulation, of course) in their mortgage-free homes, while others use them as summer camp sites or temporary vacation housing in the mountains, at the beach, or in their friend's back yards. Deeply creative or religious individuals find portable shelters a haven for increased productivity, meditation and renewal. In addition, a downscaled life offers freedom from financial oppression and the tyranny of utility companies. The environmentally ill or chemically poisoned see breathable dwellings as a refuge from the sea of resistance-lowering toxins all inhabitants of industrialized society must breathe each day. The fresh breeze that flows through an appropriately located yurt or tipi is truly life extending to those who continually battle the out gassing fumes of formaldehyde from pressed wood and stay press fabrics, floor covering adhesives, office supplies, fragrances, carbon monoxide, moth balls, toxic cleaning products and other petrochemical that saturate most conventional homes and work places. Whatever the motivations, demand is increasing for inexpensive, yet adequate shelter that offers inexpensive protection from the elements. The yurt, in particular, is a popular choice these days. Not because it is superior to the tipi, but for its adaptability and compact mobility. Even a large yurt can fit snugly in the back of a small pickup. Putting up a small (12-14' diameter) yurt takes less than an hour and makes a great instant motel room, able to withstand the severest storms without leaking or blowing down. That's a real improvement on some of the water-filled or collapsed tents I've slept in or under. Yurts also provide better intruder protection, against both humans and animals. The supporting half of a yurt, or bottom half, consists of 2 to 6 sections called khanas. These lattice-like sections resemble stretchable, wooden baby gates. These sections, along with the door, are bolted together in an upright position and secured along the top edge with a steel cable that acts as a tension ring. The top half of the yurt frame consists of notched rafters fitted onto the cable at one end and bolted onto the top central hub with strange metal brackets affectionately called cling-ons for the function they preform. A smoke hole for a stove pipe can be cut in the center of the hub or out of a side wall. Spark arresting material is secured around such openings to prevent fire. The completed structure is outfitted with a canvas covering, mosquito net, and/or
clear plastic for windows and skylights. A wooden deck at a semipermanent home site is often one of the first considerations.
Some people choose to heat the decking with radiant heat. Another approach to a foundation
for those who cringe at cement is a brick or sandstone rock floor, the cracked filled with
sand or adobe mud. If linseed oil is added to the mud it will help prevent flaking and dust.
A secure foundation can be covered with throw rugs or with whatever the occupants feel most
comfortable. Feeling creative or just don't have enough money to invest in a ready-made yurt?
Need a temporary home while building, an instant hay barn or tack house? Imagine a round
strawbale house with a 16' diameter. Cover it inside and out with chicken wire, plaster,
and provide places for the notched rafters to set in on top of the walls and top with a
yurt roof and canvas! Add another door in an existing yurt and attach an extra satellite
yurt, creating another room or bathroom. In snow and mud climates an igloo-type entrance or mud room can be added to the
front door where shoes and coats can be kept. Experiment! Possibilities for creature comforts are almost endless, depending on budget and
preferences. The need for kitchens, bathrooms, and other useful spaces are creatively
addressed by each yurt owner and the installation of indoor plumbing and electrical or
propane powered appliances is always an option. Most folks who are drawn to yurt living are interested in finding out what they
can comfortably live without. In the summer, some prefer an outdoor kitchen in a
three-sided shelter with a bower-type shade roof, to cooking indoors. Many yurt dwellers
find community with each other and share a central wash and bath house and occasional
shared meal preparation or child care. Composting or solar toilets are optional and can
be used in the privacy of a satellite yurt. Solar and wind generated energy is given high
priority in remote areas. How far one goes in shedding mod- ern life with its luxuries,
conveniences and hassles is a personal matter and the home sweet yurt gives each person
that empowering choice. Do It! A Taos Pueblo elder, now in his 92 year, once advised me about the making of things
by hand, "It's easy . . . if you know how!" If you want to learn to build your own yurt,
learn from an expert . . . we did! Blue Evening Star has written the definitive book on
yurt construction and offers inexpensive workshop seminars in the summer. The book,
"Tipis and Yurts" published by Lark Books, 1995, sells for $24.95 and can be purchased
through book stores or from Living Shelter Crafts at Box 4013 West Sedona, Arizona
86340. More pages on specific areas to apply the ideolgy of sustainability can be found at: The Gentle Survivalist |
Where the Amish & other gentle folks find their necessaries!
