Red Feather Development Group
Encyclopedia
Red Feather Development Group is a non-profit organization that builds straw-bale homes on American Indian reservations.
The organization has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show
, where they were a recipient of the Oprah's Angel Network's "Use Your Life Award", in Dwell
, and in the Chicago Sun Times among other national publications.
Red Feather incorporates environmentally and culturally-sustainable materials and practices into their efforts. Work on the reservations is done 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 as well as fostering environmentally relevant practices.
, by Robert and Anita Young. The mission of the organization came to fruition because of an Indian Country Today
article about the extreme cold weather and how tribal leaders were freezing to death in their homes. For the first six years the organization was operated by the Youngs and they built conventional housing, home rehabilitation and updates with the help of volunteers. In 1999, with the help of the University of Washington College of Built Environments
, the Youngs were able to launch the American Indian Sustainable Housing Initiative. In 2003, the organization moved to Bozeman, Montana
to be closer to the native communities with whom it partners and serves.
The organization has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, where they were a recipient of the Oprah's Angel Network's "Use Your Life Award", in Dwell
Dwell (magazine)
Dwell is an American magazine devoted to modern architecture and design. It was launched in September 2000 by mail-order heiress Lara Hedberg Deam with architecture and design critic Karrie Jacobs as its editor-in-chief. In August 2002 Jacobs left the magazine and was replaced by senior editor...
, and in the Chicago Sun Times among other national publications.
Red Feather incorporates environmentally and culturally-sustainable materials and practices into their efforts. Work on the reservations is done 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 as well as fostering environmentally relevant practices.
History
Red Feather Development Group was founded in 1994 in Bellevue, WashingtonBellevue, Washington
Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...
, by Robert and Anita Young. The mission of the organization came to fruition because of an Indian Country Today
Indian Country Today
Indian Country Today Media Network is a weekly U.S. newsmagazine that is the primary national news source for Natives, American Indians, and Tribes in the U.S. and Alaska. The ICT Media Network revealed their new online multi-media news platform in January 2011; it is a daily, hourly, or "as news...
article about the extreme cold weather and how tribal leaders were freezing to death in their homes. For the first six years the organization was operated by the Youngs and they built conventional housing, home rehabilitation and updates with the help of volunteers. In 1999, with the help of the University of Washington College of Built Environments
University of Washington College of Built Environments
The College of Built Environments or CBE at the University of Washington is the new name, as of January 1, 2009, of the college formerly called the College of Architecture and Urban Planning. The old name was adopted in 1957-58 when the college had only two departments, architecture and planning...
, the Youngs were able to launch the American Indian Sustainable Housing Initiative. In 2003, the organization moved to Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The 2010 census put Bozeman's population at 37,280 making it the fourth largest city in the state. It is the principal city of the Bozeman micropolitan area, which consists...
to be closer to the native communities with whom it partners and serves.