Past Projects on Northern Cheyenne

Red Feather has helped to complete two homes in collaboration with Northern Cheyenne families.

Bear Quiver Home
Roundstone Home

Opportunities for Northern Cheyenne Tribal Members

Indigenous Builders Exchange
Apply for a home

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Northern Cheyenne: Long-term housing strategy

In a population of 4000, nearly 1000 Northern Cheyenne individuals await housing that is simply not available. It is common for multiple families - in many cases more than ten individuals - to live in deteriorated, unhealthy 2-bedroom HUD homes intended for a single family. In the extreme climate of eastern Montana, heating and cooling expenses in poorly built and under-insulated homes cost low-income families precious dollars.

Obstacles to New Construction

The lack of adequate housing can be contributed to a number of factors, including: the reservation's weak economic climate; the difficulty of lending in Indian Country; and a bureaucratic system that involves the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Indian Health Services (IHS), and the Tribal Government.

Lending on Northern Cheyenne
Lending is an issue in most of Indian Country due to the nature of land ownership on the reservations. Reservation land is "held in trust" by the federal government and assigned to either Northern Cheyenne individuals as allotted land or to the tribal government. Because banks cannot seize reservation land and/or fixed structures in the case of default, special lending procedures are required to allow families to borrow enough money for a home. Because trailers can easily be repossessed, lenders are much more likely to finance them than a home that is built in place. In addition, many families do not have the credit history and/or income to build a new home.

Bureaucratic Requirements
For most Northern Cheyenne, it takes from three to five years to complete the paperwork necessary to prepare for construction and secure the necessary funding. For most homesite land transactions - land that is leased, gifted, or purchased - at least fifteen federal authorities from more than ten different BIA and IHS offices are required for approval. The tribe, too, shares an interest and role in this process, with applications needing review and approval from the Tribal Land Authority. The complexity of this system and the time required to navigate it deter many Northern Cheyenne families from completing the process or even entering it in the first place.

Red Feather's Project Focus

The American Indian Sustainable Housing Initiative's long-term phased housing commitment with the Northern Cheyenne drew Red Feather's attention to the community of Busby (White River), Montana. With strong community interest in sustainable construction - specifically how straw bale homes can be a viable solution to the housing and community development needs of Busby - Red Feather has begun the process of training and empowering tribal members to build. Our goal is to assist tribal members in the creation of a self-sustaining, reservation-based organization that is focused on sustainable construction and managed by Northern Cheyenne tribal members..

While home construction and technical training are critical to Red Feather's work on Northern Cheyenne, it is crucial that we work to simplify the paperwork process required for new home construction. We have collaborated with officials from the BIA, IHS, and the tribe to create the Northern Cheyenne New Construction Handbook. The Handbook is a detailed document that we hope will help streamline the homeownership process for tribal families.

Project Implementation

Red Feather began its partnership with the Northern Cheyenne in collaboration with Penn State University, the University of Washington, and the Bear Quiver family in 2000. In 2004, we began our long-term partnership with the community of Busby, leading to the construction of the Roundstone family home in June 2006.

We are actively working to engage the entire Northern Cheyenne community in our future efforts. Working with community leaders and agencies, we are determining an appropriate course for selecting our partner families. Through long-term planning and direct counseling with potential homeowners, our goal is to support annual building projects, assist families with processes required by the BIA and lending institutions, and bring long-term solutions that are implemented by the community.

Opportunities at Northern Cheyenne

For Northern Cheyenne tribal members, there are a number of ways to become involved with Red Feather's work.

• Volunteer on a local Red Feather project. All volunteer fees are waived for tribal members.
• Apply for the Indigenous Builders Exchange. There are several fellowships available for Northern Cheyenne tribal members to receive paid training, either in their own community or during our building projects on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona.
• Apply for a home with Red Feather.

Non-tribal members may support our efforts at Northern Cheyenne by donating to our American Indian Sustainable Housing Initiative or by volunteering.