Workshop Overview
In this hands-on winter workshop, participants learn the science, cultural history, and practical skills behind building dugout snow shelters. We focus on the Quinzhee (also spelled Quinzee)—a traditional Athabaskan term for a dome-shaped shelter created by hollowing out a compacted mound of snow. This shelter type is often confused with igloos, but unlike an igloo, built from stacked snow blocks, Quinzhees are carved from consolidated snow mounds, offering a distinct approach to insulation and winter survival.