"Transition"

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries both tipis and cabins were seen on reservations, especially during the transitional period (1870s-1920s). As Native Americans adapted to reservation life, many tribes continued using tipis—portable and culturally significant—alongside government-issued cabins or self-built homes. This mix reflected a blend of tradition and necessity, as families often maintained tipis for ceremonies, seasonal use, or preference while living in cabins for permanence.

Plains tribes like the Lakota or Cheyenne, forced onto reservations, often kept tipis for cultural continuity, even as they were allotted land for cabins under the Dawes Act of 1887. Historical records and photos from the period, such as those from the Pine Ridge Reservation, show this coexistence. The practice varied by tribe and region—sedentary groups like the Pueblo might have relied less on tipis—but the hybrid village layout was common during this "trying time" of cultural adjustment.