Why did native Mid-Columbia people use tule?
According to Eugene Hunn and James Selam and family, one reason why Mid-Columbia people used tule is because of its insulative value. In the book Nch’i-Wana Hunn explains: “A cross-sectional cut through a tule stem reveals a special value as an insulative covering for walls and floors; it resembles Styrofoam, a mass of air pockets within the semi-rigid celluloid matrix. Three layers of mats overlapping like shingles and banked at the base with earth kept out cold, wind, snow, and rain.” In the summer, the hot, dry Mid-Columbia temperatures dried out the tules, shrinking them, which created a space between each woven plant. The prevailing winds breezed through these spaces, offering a natural air conditioning. However, during winter months, the moisture from inside the tule mat lodge caused the tules to swell slightly, closing the spaces between each rush. This helped keep the warmth of the fire inside the house, where several families lived together all winter. What other ways were tul
