This July, we're reviewing what we've been through...

and where we're going

First things First: THANK YOU

The record amount of donations we received this past year made our response to the urgent needs on the reservation during the pandemic possible. We are so grateful for the support our community helped provide, and so inspired by the resilience and strength we've been witness to.

Though we've all battled through a lot, the road to recovery is a long one.

Requests to Red Feather for handwashing stations, emergency firewood, and help with home heating and safety services are still INCREASING.

HELP NAVAJO AND HOPI COMMUNITIES BUILD AND RECOVER

DONATE

From firewood to heat homes in freezing winter months, handwashing stations for families without running water, and longterm case management for home repairs, your donations go far.

"It has been an honor to serve on the board of Red Feather and to now act in the capacity of Board President. The critical mission of Red Feather Development Group in partnering with Tribes and working with tribal members to promote the advancement of healthy homes and healthy living conditions has been an incredible endeavor to support. It has been my distinct privilege to witness

and endorse the amazing impacts Red Feather provides to our Native people on an annual measure with the number of educational workshops provided, home inspections and weatherization projects accomplished. Red Feather changes the lives of one family at a time through their support and educational efforts which builds true self-sustainably while also always recognizing and honoring our cultural values as Indigenous peoples. I continue to be humbled by the commitment of the staff and feel incredibly privileged to have the ability to serve on the board of such an amazing organization.

Chii miigwetch (thank you very much)."

Chrystel Cornelius

Red Feather Board President and CEO of Oweesta First Nations

THE BIG PICTURE

Read Chrystel's recent article, BRIDGING THE DIVIDE BETWEEN IMPACT INVESTING AND NATIVE AMERICA on the NDN Collective website here, highlighting the need for capital flow to Indigenous communities, and the fact that less than 0.5 percent of all philanthropy goes directly to Native America.

EVERYONE DESERVES A HEALTHY HOME

Elena Honie's Home on First Mesa

Elena Honie's house is a traditional home located at Tewa on First Mesa. Her entire ceiling was damaged by mold. At the time of her home assessment for Red Feather's Weatherization Program and Home Preservation Grant program, she had already removed the ceiling drywall and insulation in one bedroom by herself.

Red Feather's Weatherization Program was able to assist in replacing all the insulation and drywall. Red Feather then leveraged our USDA HPG program to finish drywall work and paint the ceiling and walls. Windows were replaced and removed, and the wood stove piping upgraded. Elena also made the extra effort to remove all the furniture out of the home during the repairs to make maneuvering easier for the work crew.

With our combined efforts, we were able to provide Elena with the healthy and safe home she deserves. #StrongerTogether

Above: Stove and piping repair and replacement in Elena's home

Below: Complete mold removal and roof insulation and repair

The closing of the local coal mine in 2018 left many coal-reliant families without an affordable heating source this past winter. Red Feather received a record number of requests for firewood, and reports of people resorting to burning furniture to stay warm.

We are working to expand our firewood program as we head into fall 2021, anticipating continued need.

Hard hit by the pandemic, Hopi and Navajo communities were locked down for significant portions of the last year, putting a hold on some Red Feather workshops and in-home services.

Responding to the situation at hand, we turned to providing handwashing stations to areas without running water. Adapting non-profit partner Lavamaex’s design, we delivered nearly 600 stations.

Poor indoor air quality remains a health risk in many Hopi and Navajo homes. In addition to our clean stove-change out program, Red Feather has been delivering HEPA filters across the reservations to mitigate the risk factors for respiratory illness. Especially in homes using wood or coal stoves for heat, indoor air quality can lead to chronic conditions and make the long-term side effects of COVID-19 worse.

2018-2021 Program Accomplishments

27 Accessibility Ramps

133 Home Weatherizations

130 Firewood Deliveries 150 Housing Repairs

171 Heating Replacements

560 Handwashing Stations

34 Education Workshops

236 Workshop Graduates and Healthy Home Kits Dispersed

478 Client Consultations

231 Home Inspections

Volunteer Shout-out: Alex raised $5000 and built 40 Handwashing stations for his Eagle Scout project.

Alex Palomo, a member of Boy Scouts of America Troop 526 in Glendale, AZ, worked with Red Feather in 2020 to build handwashing stations for local Navajo & Hopi elderly community members and their families, building 30 stations for his BSA Eagle Scout project.

Red Feather in the news:

Running Water Solution Helps Navajo Nation Address COVID-19 Safety Concerns

Watch ABC news feature

Coal Mine’s Closure Leaves Hopi, Navajo Homes Without Heat This Winter

Listen to the KNAU feature

Turning air into water: how Native Americans are coping with water shortage amid the coronavirus pandemic

Read THE HILL Article

Nonprofit Group Brings Handwashing Stations To Hopi, Navajo

Listen to the KNAU feature

OUR ASK TO YOU, OUR RED FEATHER COMMUNITY:

Help us turn this "lightning in a bottle" moment into long-term success.

It's not often that nonprofits get this sort of spotlight- but real peoples' needs don't come and go with the media cycle.

BECOME A RECURRING DONOR

Choose Monthly or Quarterly when giving. Recurring donations allow us to budget, extend the resources of our Native Home Resource Network program and allow us to react to on-the-ground needs.

From the Desk of the ED

Red Feather Development Group's Executive Director Joe Seidenberg shares Red Feather's response to last year's needs and how the organization is fitting into broader change.

"...Red Feather’s collaborative effort to provide firewood to Native families in need is part of a holistic solution to reduce wildfire risks and restore some level of socio-ecological balance..."

ON THE GROUND

Why we do this work

“I want to share a story with everyone about the firewood program. We receive calls every day from people requesting firewood. Many are no less dire than this one: A woman called the office, desperately asking us to deliver firewood to her neighbor. He was burning his furniture because he was out of wood and would never ask for a hand-out.

He was elderly and physically unable to go out to gather, cut and split his own wood.

The woman said she had reached out to other organizations for assistance with the situation but found that it was a problem finding any wood, even though many organizations had been trying to help with the firewood issue.

This is not an uncommon story that we hear. I have heard of clients burning worse things than furniture. Some have burnt clothes, lumber, combustible debris or any other thing they can, just to stay warm for a few more hours. Of all the progams that are on my plate, it is this one that makes me take phone calls at any time of day, from 7:00 in the morning to 10:00 at night from clients and vendors. It is what makes me say, I will pay any price to get wood to people. It’s what makes me say, thank god that I am a part of this organization. It is the most tangibly good and direly needed program that this organization has asked me to participate in.”

- Darleen

Red Feather Program Coordinator

UPCOMING EVENTS:

MNA Heritage Festival 2021

Red Feather will have a booth at the annual Museum of Northern Arizona Heritage Festival. The Festival runs every weekend in July.

More info and tickets HERE

Indigenous People's Day Benefit Concert!

Organized by Buddha Farms, this concert will bring together music and community in support of Red Feather's programs, on October 10th 2021. Contact us for info or to volunteer.

Stay Connected. Follow us for program and community updates.