2024 community programming

Earthen Wall Systems: LIGHT STRAW-clay infill

What: A weekend community workshop series

Where: Dennehotso, AZ (exact location shared upon registration)

When: 9am - 3pm on Saturday, July 6 - Sunday, July 7 and
9am - 3pm on Saturday July 13 - Sunday, July 14

Attendance: 12 participants (All welcome, Diné priority if we reach capacity)

Workshop Info:

The workshop is an introduction to light straw-clay (LSC) infill methods and hands-on installation. Light straw-clay is a natural building technique that consists of only two materials: straw and clay! Loose straw is coated with a liquid clay, known as clay slip, and tamped between two temporary form boards. As the LSC dries, the clay hardens and binds the straw, creating a strong, durable, and highly insulative wall that is fire resistant, non-toxic, supports clean indoor air quality, and can reduce energy costs! The two-day workshop will introduce the fundamentals of a monolithic, non-load-bearing wall system that is accessible for most contemporary residential construction methods. The workshop is open to all ages to attend!  

Registration closes July 1, 2024

Activities Schedule

Day 1: 

  • Intro to Light Straw-Clay infill

  • Gather Materials

  • Mixing the straw and clay

  • Applying form boards and infilling to create our wall

Day 2:

  • Brief overview of Day 1

  • Continue mixing and wall infilling

  • Demonstrate dowel placement and its importance

  • Wrap up!

We encourage you to attend one full 2-day weekend workshop and also welcome you to stop by when you can. Please indicate your attendance in the registration.

Location DETAILS

The workshop is located at our project site in Dennehotso, AZ.

Dek’ihootsoh or Deinihootso (Dennehotso, AZ) is home to generations of farmers, weavers, ranchers, healers, and stewards of their mother-clan settlements. Our elder’s translation is “green and yellow meadows” or “green meadow converging to the upper end.” Green, lush ecosystem suitable for rich soil and cottonwood trees. The Laguna Creek feeds the green meadows that used to stream central to our farming areas, which provided water to irrigate the fields. The tó (water) was a vital instrument for our food source, livestock, ceremonies, and the futurity of our community's well-being. Dennehotso’s ecosystem has adapted to dry soil; most farming and livestock management is hauling water from the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority infrastructure. The community's natural infrastructure offers dry irrigation systems, sandy walking areas, organic hiking trails made by residents, and horse riding. However, we are resilient, like the remaining tall and beautiful cottonwood trees, and we aim to celebrate Dennehotso through this proposed project. The community is situated along Comb Ridge, a part of the expanding Colorado Plateau. Dennehotso is mapped in the northeastern region of the Arizona Navajo Nation along HWY 160, positioned between Kayenta, AZ, and Red Mesa, AZ.

Site Conditions: Dennehotso is located on the Colorado plateau at an elevation of 5,020 feet and is surrounded by ancient ocean formations. The workshop site is nestled next to petrified sand dunes and rich desert flora landscape . Dennehotso does experience all four-seasons and temperatures fluctuate during the summer months. Please expect high temperatures in the upper 90’s to low temperatures at night to low 50’s. Be prepared for dry southwest heat and possible high-windy days! Stay hydrated and bring sun-protection.

An outside toilet or outhouse is available on-site with a handwashing station. Potable water will be available on-site.

SURROUNDING AMENITIES

Grocers:

  • Dennehotso Market (small market/deli/laundry), Dennehotso, AZ

  • Mexican Water gas station and cafe, Mexican Water, AZ (east of Dennehotso)

  • Basha, Kayenta, AZ (25 miles west of Dennehotoso, AZ)

Restaurants:

  • Blue Coffee Pot, Kayenta, AZ (25 miles west of Dennehotos, AZ).

  • Pizza Edge, Kayenta, AZ.

  • Hampton Inn restaurant, Kayenta, AZ. 

  • Golden Rice Bowl, Kayenta, AZ.

  • Amigo Cafe, Kayenta, AZ.

  • Kayenta Monument Valley Inn restaurant, Kayenta, AZ.

  • McDonald's, Kayenta, AZ.

  • Taco Bell, Kayenta, AZ.

  • Burger King, Kayenta, AZ.

  • Subway, Kayenta, AZ.

  • Goulding’s Lodge restaurant, Gouldings, UT.

Lodging:

Camping will be available at the Dennehotso project site. You can also book lodging at:

Dennehotso Market with Walking With Dinétah mural by Lynnette Haozous

NI staff and board at Amigo Cafe in Kayenta, Az

about the InstructorS

Mariah Ashley

Mariah is Diné, Tsinaajini, born for Ta'neesahnii. They are from Chichitah, New Mexico and currently reside in Flagstaff, Arizona. Mariah has been learning and practicing the art of natural building for 5 years after she inherited the “Strawbale House” aka ‘Strawberry Home’ from her late grandmother. Since then her love for earthen plastering and natural building has evolved into providing sustainable housing solutions and bringing communities together! 

As we enter a changing environment, the need for community and adequate housing is critical. With natural building we can build relationships to each other and to the land, foster community care and cooperation, and empower ourselves to build our own homes without being reliant on loans and mortgages. Mariah’s dream is to see Indigenous people’ reclaim their matriarchal and ancestral homelands by sheltering one another with sustainable housing that is non-toxic, fire resistant, breathable, humble and made from the earth as our ancestors intended.

Bianca Mondragón

Bianca Mondragón is 37 years old from Nogales Tucson and Flagstaff Arizona. She started learning about soil remediation and natural building in 2011. From her studies on the central coast of California, she moved back to Arizona in 2015 and started building her cob (monolithic adobe) home north of Flagstaff. She started teaching natural building courses through Cob Cottage Co. And Quail Springs Permaculture. Currently, her business and full-time job are consulting on cob, light straw clay, and strawbale homes. Design, engineering, and the construction of buildings from foundation to finishes. Specializing in lime/clay finishes and earthen floors for the past 8 years. Teaching others how to shelter themselves in beautiful, healthy, dignified homes is the main part of her work.