[Sdpg] May 2006- Strawbale and Navajo culture

[Santa Barbara Permaculture Network]

In mid-May, there is a workshop opportunity in loadbearing strawbale 
construction, combined with a rare opportunity for cross-cultural 
collaboration and learning.  The workshop will be held in the northeast 
Arizona town of Window Rock, the capital city of the Navajo Nation, the 
largest Indian Reservation in the contiguous United States.   The program 
puts the cultural contacts and connections in a primary role.  Check with 
the program coordinators (description and contact information below), if 
you can fit this unique opportunity into your plans.

Derek Roff
Director, Builders Without Borders


A strawbale-construction and cultural workshop will be held in Window Rock, 
AZ on the Navajo Reservation, May 15-24th

Participants will learn to build a load-bearing strawbale building with 
interior dimension of 14' x 20'. This project will include erecting the 
strawbale walls, and placing doors and windows. We will be constructing a 
shed-style roof with south-facing clerestory windows, and if time allows, 
do natural-earth plasters for the walls.

Lunches will be included and evenings will be filled with Navajo cultural 
activities. These activities could include sweat lodge, storytelling, 
traditional plant walks, and other teachings from traditional Navajo elders.

We don't want to just build a strawbale building. From this project, and 
the diversity of the participants, we want to build a sense of community 
and cross-cultural sharing and awareness. This is how people came together 
in the past to help one another make homes, not houses.

The cost of the 10-day gathering is $540 per person. We want to make it 
clear that the participant fee is for the strawbale project it self. There 
is no cost for the cultural activities. Please be prepared to be hands on 
right along with your notepad during this workshop.

Strawbale-construction facilitator will be Dave Brave Heart from Southern 
Colorado. Local facilitators are Gino Antonio and Molly Bigknife Antonio.

There is a local Mission that can accommodate up to 16 people, in a 
“hostel” fashion remodeled home, at the cost of $15 per person, per night 
(7 miles away from workshop). There is also a Quality Inn in Window Rock 
(928) 871-4108 and a Navajoland Days Inn in St. Michaels (928) 871-5690 (3 
miles away from workshop). There are also a multitude of places to stay in 
Gallup, NM (about 30 miles from workshop).

To register, and for more information, please email Gino and Molly at 
14u24me at wildmail.com.

More information, such as camping and local amenities will be posted 
shortly.

Please register as soon as possible, as we expect the workshop to fill 
quickly.



Santa Barbara Permaculture Network
(805) 962-2571
sbpcnet at silcom.com
www.sbpermaculture.org

"We are like trees, we must create new leaves, in new directions, in order to
grow." - Anonymous

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