Timeless tipis: The origins of modern tipi events
Whether you call it a tipi, or a teepee, we have created hundreds of events with these giant tents, based out of Katah Events HQ in Oxfordshire. Their roots, however, lie much further back in history, and here we delve into the origins of the tipis we love.
Design born out of necessity
The modern tipi event industry was founded by Tentipi in 1989, when this innovative company created the striking design that we know and love. Despite the attempts of some pretenders, Tentipi continue to stand alone way ahead of the competition as they produce tipis of the highest quality. We at Katah Events are proud to continue sourcing our tents from them.
Looking back much further, the origins of the tents lie with the Indigenous Sámi people of Scandinavia. The Sámi culture is one of the oldest cultures in the region, reaching back for thousands of years. Since the eighteenth century, Sámi people were nomadic reindeer-herders who needed shelter which could be transported, whilst also staying warm. This necessity is where the Sámi kåta came from; a wooden frame of poles in a conical shape, covered with animal hides, with a hole in the roof to allow rising smoke to escape. The simple design could be packed down and travelled with easily.
"A-Sami-Lapp-family-in-Norway-around-1900" by tonynetone is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Tipi innovation
The founder of Tentipi, Bengt Grahn, took inspiration from these designs and began to design and produce giant Nordic tipis himself. Over years of design tweaks and improvements, the company has created a product that is popular all over the world. Tentipi still sew their products in Lapland today. The Sámi connection has remained central to what the company does. In 1993, a Sámi cultural group were so impressed with the tents they asked Bengt to create large exhibition space. This led to the development of the ‘Giant Hat’ design, or Stratus – the tipi that we at Katah Events use for our giant tipi events!
It was also a Sámi man, Roger Rimpi, who devised the ability to join the tents together in a move which transformed their potential, with the ability to create event spaces for a potentially limitless number of people.
Although surprising to consider the ancient roots of the tents we work with every day, their simplicity, timelessness and versatility are one of the reasons we continue to love the design. They are durable and beautiful. The giant tipis allow us to create events up and down the UK where guests celebrate and enjoy the beautiful green spaces and landscapes – and we continue to have fires in them when we need to stay warm!
“The story of the tipis is one of tradition and innovation.”
Giant tipi events today
At Katah Events, we take the event potential of the tents and bring it to life through working closely with our clients and expert project management. Our clients and guests who pass through them are consistently impressed by the transformative effect of the tipis in outdoor venues, as well as the gorgeous interior spaces.
Today in northern Europe, increasing attention is being paid to Sami communities and the vibrant, distinctive Sámi culture.
The story of the tipis is one of tradition and innovation. At Katah Events we look forward to many more years of using these tipis in celebrations and at joyful events, with appreciation of their deep historical roots and the innovation of our partners at Tentipi.