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The Red Feather trucks and trailers have been pulling into Montana this past week, leaving a trickle of Hopiland sand on the highways between Bacavi and Bozeman. Karen Duwyenie and her family are preparing to move into their new straw bale home-built during the month of September by close to 100 volunteers, travelling from as far away as New England and as near as the house next door. It was another successful Red Feather straw bale build; in the end providing a beautiful home for the Duwyenie family and memories of hard and satisfying work, new friendships, backgammon victories and defeats, and the beautiful Hopi landscape for all those who participated.

Some of the highlights of the build included great participation from the local community, lending many hands with construction and cooking. Special thanks goes to Second Mesa resident Ray Honwynewa who logged countless hours helping with everything from the foundation to the finishing touches. Karen and her son Joey both joined the effort during our four-day stucco marathon and homeowner-to-be Lee Sockyma easily exceeded the sweat equity hours asked of him. Gordon from Keya Earth worked hard applying stucco and framing walls. Too many hands were involved to credit everyone who contributed to the Hopi feast that all enjoyed half-way through the build, but it was generously spearheaded by the Hopi Indigenous Builders Exchange (IBE) crew of Beverly, Philbert, Lance and of course "Bread Master" Victor.

The September project brought the 2007 IBE program to a successful close. We had four participants who worked on both the renovation projects at Northern Cheyenne and the home build in Hopi: Hopi tribal members (as mentioned above, Beverly Honanie, Philbert Honanie and Lance Talaswaima, and from the Northern Cheyenne Nation, Joe Bear Robe.

Another important step was taken towards the formation of a Hopi-run straw bale construction organization when local board members met with representatives from the Oak Hill Fund to discuss future collaboration in getting their program ideas off the ground. Thanks goes to Bob, Karen and Tracy from Oak Hill for their participation and hard work on the build and to all the Hopi board members, many of whom brought food for the volunteers and worked on Karen's home.

How do you keep 30 volunteers and staff working long days (and sometimes nights)? Positive energy and good food. Cindy Owings and her rotating assistants created the good food, and the group maintained the energy. We were very fortunate that Cindy took on the difficult task of running the Red Feather kitchen for the entire four weeks of the project. It is no small feat to provide a diverse and healthy menu to the build community, but add to it a kitchen trailer that is 3/4 mile down the highway with no immediate water source, and you can start to see why we thank Cindy to the point of embarrassing her. And we were not the only ones devoted to Cindy: Rocky the Rottweiler (a rez dog) was always at her side, accompanying her to and from the kitchen trailer.

A Red Feather build is tough on our tools, but it would be even tougher without the help of Clarence Rowell who managed our tool trailer. Clarence spent all four weeks passing out, putting away, finding and fixing tools, like saws, scaffolding, hoses and hammers. And how did we show our thanks, by putting the port-a-johns right next to the tool trailerÑsorry, Clarence. And thanks for all your quiet, hard work.

Red Feather continued its home renovation program with two small Hopi side projects. Ernie from Bacavi bought all the materials for a much needed roof on his home and then worked alongside Red Feather staff and volunteers to put it on. Pearl, also a Bacavi resident, needed some structural work done in her Piki room, so staff and volunteers worked with her family members to frame in support walls and strengthen her rafters. Of course all these crews were well fed by each homeowner, gorging themselves on pork chops, chili stews and home-grown melons.

So in the end Karen's home is beautiful to behold, thanks to the careful work of many hands. It will provide a safe shelter for her family for many years to come.