<em>The reason I say this is because Northern American Indians had access to more trees (depending on where in the North) and they would commonly use baby saplings to not only make tools but their frames for animal hide houses (not exactly Tipis these were shaped like boxes). In the Great Plains there wasn't exactly that much wood but there was however mud, and this led to some of the natives using mud to make Sod houses.</em>
In my view the best word would be ethos. Ethos is the set of fundamental values, guiding principles, social practices and beliefs that constitute the character of a particular culture.
