Northern Cheyenne Chief's Pow-Wow

The Northern Cheyenne Tribe recently announced the dates for the annual July Pow-Wow. Events are planned for July 4th-8th. For further information, check out the Pow-Wow flyer here.

Our scheduled renovation projects will end on June 23rd, but we know that some of our volunteers like to extend their road trips. Here's an option... now you just have to find something to do for the two weeks in between!

2006 Annual Report

Contruction Program Director Mark Jensen has returned from his annual printing trip to Seattle with our 2006 Annual Report. Members in the U.S. should receive their copy within the week. If you are not yet a member and would like to receive a copy, join Red Feather here.

Court vistory for Hopi, Navajo, and other AZ tribes

This week, the 9th District Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a previous ruling that would have allowed the Arizona Snowbowl to use reclaimed wastewater in its snowmaking operations at the San Francisco Peaks - a sacred area for many Arizona tribes. To the Hopi the peaks are the home of the katsinas, the spirits that bring water and renewal to their people and homeland.
The tribes appealed the original decision to allow the use of reclaimed wastewater on the grounds that the U.S. Forest Service had violated NEPA (National Environmental Protection Act) in their preparation of the EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) and that desecrating the San Francisco Peaks violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The court ruled for the tribes on both counts.

In the ruling, Judge William Fletcher also commented:

And Fletcher said even if there were some danger that the resort would close, "we are not convinced that there is a compelling governmental interest" in allowing the use of recycled sewage to prevent that from happening.

"We are struck by the fact that the Peaks are located in a desert," the judge explained. And he said it is predictable that some winters will be dry.

"The then-owners of the Snowbowl knew this when they expanded the Snowbowl in 1979, and the current owners knew this when they purchased it in 1992," Fletcher wrote.

For further details, read accounts of the decisions:

The Official Court Decision
Arizona Daily Sun
Indianz.com

Strategerie

From February 19-22 Red Feather's staff, board of directors, and board of advisors holed up at the B-Bar Ranch in Montana's Paradise Valley to review the path we've walked thus far and to set our sights on how to proceed.

The big task of the week was to develop a strategic plan for the organization. Under the leadership of facilitator Deidre Combs, Red Feather established its vision, revisted its mission statement, determined the values with which we will address this mission, and set specific goals for the next 10 years.

Without further ado... ...

Red Feather's Vision
We envision a world where safe housing is available to all, and people are inspired to work collectively to create self-sustaining communities.

Red Feather's Mission
Red Feather partners with American Indian communities to address the severe housing crisis within their nations through:
- Building homes
- Teaching home construction and facilitating home ownership
- Encouraging volunteerism
- Enabling cooperation and understanding among cultures
- Fostering environmentally relevant practices

Red Feather's Values
- Integrity
- Humility
- Respect
- Stewardship
- “Secret Sauce” – Joy, Humor, Helpfulness, Rubber Bands, Love
- Perseverance

Please leave your name after the beep...

It has been a crazy month at Red Feather. We had our Board retreat, trips to the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, and our current trip to Hopiland. Add to that Mark's extended stay in Seattle to publish our Annual Report and there hasn't been too much time for us in the office. We apologize for the silence and will provide some updates in the next week.