Thatched Roofs and Open Sides: The Architecture of Chickees and Their Changing Role in Seminole Society

Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians Award of Excellence for a Book







In Thatched Roofs and Open Sides, Carrie Dilley reveals the design, construction, history, and cultural significance of the chickee, the unique Seminole structure made of palmetto and cypress. Dilley illustrates how the multipurpose structure has developed over time to meet the changing needs of the Seminole Tribe. Read more Continue reading Read less REVIEW
"Adds an important chapter to a rather sparse, albeit growing, literature on Indigenous design and architecture. . . . Rebukes the view that tribes in the Americas only had teepees and igloos." -- Journal of Native American and Indigenous Studies "Presents a compelling examination of the chickee that is as much ethnohistory as architectural history." -- H-Net "Never before has there been a systematic study of chickees. . . . An informative and detailed exploration of chickees at the intersection of architectural history and cultural analysis." -- Florida Historical Quarterly --This text refers to the paperback edition. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carrie Dilley is visitor services and development manager at the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Seminole Indian Museum in Clewiston, Florida. She is the former architectural historian of the Seminole Tribe of Florida Tribal Historic Preservation Office. --This text refers to the paperback edition. REVIEW
"Takes us on a journey to the heart and soul of Seminole life -- the chickee. Dilley ably navigates archaeology, architecture, and oral history to tell the story of the Seminole house, from its origins, through its persistence in the face of modernization, and ending with a glimpse into the future." -- Ryan Wheeler, director, Robert S. Peabody Museum of Archaeology --This text refers to the paperback edition. Read more Continue reading Read less