How Ancient Pueblo Architecture Helped Us Complete Three Recent Projects

Simultaneous volunteer service projects often require supply runs, tools swapped and delivered from crew to crew, and other challenges resulting from the long distances between worksites on the reservations we serve.
But on our final day of service during the recent August Volunteer Trip, traditional Hopi architecture helped us avoid that common obstacle!

The villages of the Hopi - who are a Puebloan People - are made up of adobe homes which share walls and surround a shared plaza, in which ceremonies and social gatherings still take place. This type of architecture reflects the Hopi & Pueblo emphasis on community and sharing - Indigenous wisdom that still guides the Hopi today.

Thanks to these ancient architectural practices, our entire volunteer group was able to work side-by-side on three different projects at Sitsomovi Village atop First Mesa:

1. Finishing touches to a new wood shed for a Hopi family

2. Installation of a wheelchair ramp for a Hopi elder

3. Waterproofing of the roof of a 17th century Hopi home prone to severe leaks

Just one of the many ways Indigenous wisdom helps bring this work to life!

In the video above: See volunteers work side-by-side to complete three projects on the final day of our August Service Trip to the Hopi & Navajo Nations!