Restoring Tribal Communities: Connecting Cultural Values Through Architecture

Maria Lynn Begay

Navajo Nation

Maria Begay_ Apr 10, 2024.webm

Begay, Maria. Maria Begay. 16 Jan 2024. Author’s personal collection.

Personal Connection

Close to Home

Connecting my identity of being Native American to my passion of architecture is my main goal for this project. Coming from a Native community, I understand how important it is to embrace your culture and have a connection to it. My purpose for this project is to address two problem that I’ve identified in my community, which is poor living conditions and keeping a connection with our culture, through architecture. I want to see my community and the Navajo Nation grow and incorporate more modern architecture, but still keep the value of traditional styles of architecture.

Begay, Maria. Mountain. 06 June 2022. Author's personal collection.

Research Log 1 : Identity

Sharing One Skin: Okanagan Community

The article “Sharing One Skin,” by Jeanette Armstrong reveals the Okanagan’s value of sharing one skin, which is the concept of an individual protecting themselves and their community. Armstrong explains the four capacities of an individual - physical self, emotional self, thinking-intellectual self, and spiritual self. The four capacities help us understand a bigger part of ourselves beyond our physical body. Armstrong also shares the importance of community and that to be human we need our family and our community. Our native community is especially important because it is our connection to our culture and our language. Armstrong explains that in a time of change and development, we need to remember our values and take pride in our traditional ways. We need to protect our indigenous land and culture for future generations because we are the land and “we are protectors of Earth.” Jeanette Armstrong encourages her readers to advocate for our native communities and to connect with our native identity.

Armstrong, Jeanette. “Sharing One Skin: The Okanagan Community,” in Jerry Mander and Edward Goldsmith (eds), The Case Against the Global Economy. San Francisco, CA, Sierra Club Books, 1996. Pp 460-470

Photo:

Begay, Maria. Sandia Mountains. 20 August 2022. Author's personal connection.

How place names impact the way we see landscape

Memories and stories are connected to our land as described by B Toastie in the article, “How place names impact the way we see landscape.” The way we view our land is known as Place Identity and it is measured on our emotional connection to the land based upon our values and beliefs. Toastie explains that a name gives a place its story and it represents its past. Over time, colonial power and names took that significance away and misrepresented the story behind it. Toastie advocates that we -native americans- have to understand where we come from and the sacredness behind those places.

Toastie, B. “How place names impact the way we see landscape.” High Country News: Know the West, 1 May 2022, https://www.hcn.org/issues/54.5/people-places-how- place-names-impact- the-way-we-see-landscape.

Photo:

Begay, Maria. Vermont Bird. 03 June 2022. Author's personal collection.

And Then I Went to School

In the story “And Then I Went to School,” Joe Suina tells his story of how challenging it was to adapt to a new environment and the ongoing challenge it is to live in two different worlds. Before he went off to school, he lived a very traditional lifestyle with his grandma in Cochiti Pueblo. He practiced his traditions daily and was comfortable with it. Once it was time for him to go to school, it was a very new and different experience. Joe had to learn a whole new language and how to be comfortable with a whole new environment. Over time, he started to adapt with the whiteman’s way and became embarrassed with his culture. School changed his view about his life in Cochiti. When he went back home, he reconnected with his culture and remembered his values and realized that Cochiti was where he belonged. After that, he accepted that both lifestyles were a part of his life now.

Suina, Joseph. “And Then I Went to School, Memories of a Pueblo Childhood,” pp 1-6, Reprint with permission of the author from the New Mexico Journal of reading, winter 1985, Vol. V, No. 2, “Rainbird” illustrations by Tom Lea from H.P. Mora, Pueblo designs.

Photo:

Begay, Maria. Navajo Museum. 24 April 2022. Author's personal collection.

Research Log 2 : History

Native Americans in the 17th Century

The establishment of European settlement and the introduction of European disease, plants, animals, technology, and ideas transformed the culture and political traditions of Native Americans, with the smallpox epidemic, the population decreased by about 90% and communities faced heavy destruction, “our fathers had plenty of deer and skins, our plains were full of deer, as also our woods, and of turkeys, and our coves full of fish and fowl. But these English have gotten our land, they with scythes cut down the grass, and with axes fell the trees; their cows and horses eat the grass, and their hogs spoil our clam banks, and we shall be starved” (Miantonomoh). The killing of elders, slavery and disease cleared the way for European settlement; which allowed them to forcefully convert Native Americans to Christianity, leading to the start of disconnection and alcoholism in indigenous communities. As the expansion of European settlement became bigger, many communities were forced to relocate, as well as rebuild their community. Conflicts between Indian and Europeans over land and sovereignty started to increase, which frequently resulted in the “near examination of Indian communities.” In this article, Andrew Frank describes the many challenges that Native Americans faced, but through resilience, they were able to overcome disease, war, assault, and competition for scarce resources.

Frank, Andrew K. “Native Americans in the 17th Century.” Native Americans in U.S. History, Facts On File, 2018. American Indian History, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=18626&itemid=WE43&articleId=358121. Accessed 20 Oct. 2023

Photo:

Begay, Maria. Bosque Redondo. 24 April 2022. Author’s personal collection.

Native American Boarding Schools and Assimilation

In the late 1800’s, Colonel Richard H. Pratt, known for the famous quote “kill the Indian, save the man.” would forever change the lives of Native Americans with his creation of boarding schools, in an attempt to fix the “Indian problem.” Congress supported and funded Pratt’s ideas, so he could further experiment because “the assimilation of Indian people had long been a goal of the United States government.” The Carlisle Industrial Indian School became the model for government-funded boarding schools that expanded to 37 states. Native American children were taken or kidnapped from their home communities and were immediately given English names, haircuts, and clothes. The boarding schools had strict rules and harsh punishments for kids that would speak their language or practice their cultural traditions. After returning home, many kids struggled to fit into their communities because they had been assimilated into a white culture, sometimes forgetting their native traditions. Some kids were rejected from their communities for being too “white,” but others became valued members in their community because they were intermediaries between tribes and the American society. The intention of boarding schools to assimilate Indians to American society, ended up becoming a major advantage for Native Americans to gain rights. Through resilience and perseverance, Native Americans were able to strengthen their tribes, by using the newly developed skills of their children and overcame the attempt to eliminate native American communities.

Sonneborn, Liz. “Overview: Native American Boarding Schools and Assimilation.” Native American Boarding Schools and Assimilation, Facts On File, 2022. American Indian History, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=18626&itemid=WE43&articleId= 643652. Accessed 20 Oct. 2023.

Photo:

Mejia, Melissa. “The U.S. history of Native American Boarding Schools — The Indigenous Foundation.” The Indigenous Foundation, 30 May 2021, https://www.theindigenousfoundation.org/articles/us-residential-schools. Accessed 20 November 2023.

Chaco Canyon: A Center and Its World

One of the most amazing creations that has lasted for two and a half centuries, Chaco Canyon continues to impress people all over the world. Different from other historical sites, Chaco Canyon is unique because “it is not a preservation accident,” as described by Stephen H. Lekson. The structure and architecture of Chaco have proved that it was built to last, made out of over 30 million stones, the buildings of Chaco Canyon were built with precision. Sometimes being five stories high, the “great buildings of Chaco Canyon were indeed remarkable anomalies. Chacoan buildings were massively scaled and massively built. Even the dimensions of individual rooms were monumental.” To protect the ancient lands, in 1980, Chaco was changed from a national monument to a national park and was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In “Chaco Canyon: A Center and Its World,” Stephen claims that Chaco was “a unique place in prehistory, and it remains an important place for modern American cultural heritage.”

Lekson, Stephen H., et al. Chaco Canyon: A Center and Its World. Museum of New Mexico Press, 1994.

Photos:

Begay, Maria. The Happy Mountains . 14 October 2023. Author's personal collection

Mahler, Richard. “Earth Notes: Around Chaco Canyon, a Different Kind of Energy Boom.” KNAU, 11 May 2016, https://www.knau.org/earth-notes/2016-05-11/earth-notes-around-chaco-canyon-a-different-kind-of-energy-boom. Accessed 20 November 2023.

Research Log 3 : Current State of the Issue

Architecture is Vital to Native Culture

In the article “Architecture is vital to Native culture,” Sam Olbekson shares his story of his experience owning his own native architecture firm. He is the principal of Native American Design and founder of Full Circle Indigenous Planning. He uses his platform to address social, cultural, and environmental issues in both urban and rural tribal communities. Having a degree in architecture allows Sam to use design to reflect contemporary social values and build for future generations. “I was told to keep that phrase close to me as I pursued my education and professional career to remind myself who I am and that I must bring knowledge back home and help rebuild and strengthen our Native communities,” Sam described as his motive for serving tribal communities in building the economy, preserving culture and thriving. His desire to promote rich cultural ways of life, reflect the increase of modern tribal development and balances the relationship between traditional architectural principles and contemporary Native American culture. Recently, Sam has done projects that help his community adapt to the new era of COVID-19 and he continues to serve his community through architecture.

Baldwin, Eric. “Architecture is Vital to Native Culture: Sam Olbekson on Indigenous Design and Social Justice.” Arch Daily, 09 August 2021, https://www.archdaily.com/948150/architecure-is-vital-to-native-culture-sam-olbekson-on-indigenous-design-and-social -justice. Accessed 25 November 2023.

Photo:

George Wharton, James. “View of the pueblo of Acoma from the roof of the old church showing the bell tower and Mesa Encantada.” Wikimedia Commons. Circa 1896. Web. commons.wikimedia.org. Accessed 3 March 2024.

Tribal Housing Reveals Inequalities in Indian Country

In the report “Tribal Housing Reveals Inequalities in Indian Country,” two of the largest Native American reservations are compared in their efforts addressing the different inequalities of indigenous people. The Cherokee Nation and the Navajo Nation both face very similar challenges on the reservation, “housing needs are very extreme on tribal lands.” Historically, the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act provided housing aid to Native American tribes, and also “enables tribes to design, develop, and operate their own affordable housing program based on local needs,” but since the expiration of this Act in 2013, funding has decreased significantly. Tribes have seen different results with gaining the proper funds. Cherokee has received $28.5 million and built 277 homes, while the Navajo Nation, over a decade, has received $803 million, but only built 1110 homes. The Cherokee Nation continues to support its people with rental assistance programs and housing, and continues to be a model nation that has addressed its housing shortages and increased their development. Gary Cooper reveals that tribes have to start utilizing other programs to address and solve their needs.

Galvin, Gaby, and Elliot, Davis. “Across the U.S Disparities in Indian Country Emerge Through Tribal Housing.” US News.com, 23 September 2017, https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2017-09-23/across-the-us-disparities-in-indian-country-emerge-through-tribal-housing. Accessed 25 November 2023.

Photo:

Begay, Maria. Modern Examples. 15 November 2023. Author’s personal collection.

The Navajo Water Lady

In “The Navajo Water Lady,” CBS shows the poverty and challenges that the Navajo people face. Unpaved roads, scarce electricity, overcrowded homes, and high unemployment rates are just some of the hardships the Diné people deal with. One major problem featured in this news story is the lack of plumbing and running water on the Navajo Nation. Political scientist Dan McCool describes this situation as “a national embarrassment.” One lady making a difference is Darlene Arviso, also known as the Water Lady. Darlene is a water drive for St. Bonaventure Indian Mission and she delivers water to about 150 homes on the Navajo Nation, in an attempt to help her community and family. The work being done by Darlene has grabbed the attention of many people including George McGraw, who runs a nonprofit organization called “Dig Deep.” McGraw has started a project on the Navajo Nation to build a $500,000 well that is drinkable. Although he has faced challenges, McGraw hopes to continue his journey of helping the Diné people.

Cowan, Lee, director. “The Navajo Water Lady.” CBS Sunday Morning, 2015, youtube.com, https://www,youtube.com/watch?v=hk8rm9EsET4&t=925. Accessed 25 November 2023.

Photo:

Begay, Maria. Darlene Arviso. 02 August 2023. Author’s personal collection.

Research Log 4 : Global Connections

The Lost Indigenous Housing Designs

Many communities struggle with losing their traditions and customs, which translates to the way that they live. In the article, "The Lost Indigenous Housing Designs," Kayla Devault tells about communities who are losing their traditional style homes to modern architecture. Historically, the Sky City village in the Pueblo of Acoma suffered centuries of oppression and violence from the Spanish and American colonial government, resulting in a majority of their land being taken away. Today, Sky City only retains about 10% of its original land and most of their housing funds come from the Tribal Housing Project. In addition, the American government still maintains control over Acoma's tribal housing program, meaning that they have to meet certain standards set by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This forces them to adapt to western design principles. and tribal members live in homes that do not incorporate cultural needs, are not energy efficient, and undercut community self-sufficiency. Although lack of traditional homes is the circumstance for many indigenous people, some Native Americans are working to revitalize traditional architecture within their community. Devault teaches college at Arizona State University, where she met architect Wanda Dalla Costa. She believes that "housing is not only an expression of tribal sovereignty, but also as a pathway to nation-building." Her work led her to a collaboration with the Gila River Indian Community, where they try to re-operationalize traditional homes. The work done by these groups has been life-changing for many, but the question of "how can we create homes that represent the cultural values we want" still lingers.

Devault, Kayla. "The Lost Indigenous Housing Designs." YES! Magazine, 29 May 2018, https://www.yesmagazine.org/issue/affordable/ housing/2018/05/29/colonialism-and-the-lost-indigenous-housing-designs. Accessed 30 January 2024.

Photo:

Rolle, Elisa. “Acoma Pueblo.” Wikimedia Commons. 21 october, 2012. Web. commons.wikimedia.org. Accessed 3 March 2024.

Traditional Architecture - Are we losing the battle to love it?

People all over the world are experiencing the same problem as Native Americans. In the United Kingdom, the decline in eastern European architecture is now taking a turn to more capitalist and brutalist architecture as Ian French describes in his article, "Traditional Architecture - Are we losing the battle to love it?" Historically in the Georgian and Victorian era, art was architecture and it was beautiful and unique. This was an opportunity for architects to display their art and imagination, making the buildings look like an art museum. "umping forward to the 1900, there was a major rebellion against traditional architecture, and become the era of Art Deco. This was one of the most elaborate and decadent artistic movements. Many of the art was inspired by ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman principals, which combined art with romance, attracting people to admire their work. School and political ideologies like Marxism became a threat to traditional architecture. After WWII, modern takes on architecture from eastern Europe began to turn into capitalist and modernist customs. The aesthetic appeal was no longer seen as a need to architects. The ability to display local family heritage was gone. Many people fell out of love with traditional street art, "modernism destroyed our heritage, our local identity." Ian French explains how art should be inspired and translated into our architecture. The loss of traditional architecture has fallen upon many communities and French encourages developers to embrace traditional themes to restore traditional architecture.

French, Ian. "Traditional Architecture - Are we losing the battle to love it?" Ian French, 9 July 2021, https://Ianfrench.medium.com/traditional-architecture-are-we-losing- the-battle-to-love-it-9e8f0d6012b9. Accessed 29 January 2024.

Photo:

Begay, Maria. Contemporary Architecture. 28 January 2023. Author's personal collection.

Mexico's Traditional Housing is Disappearing - and with it, a way of life.

In the interview, "Mexico's Traditional Housing is Disappearing," Sarah Wessler talked with photographer Onnis Luque and COMUNAL founder Mariana Ordonez Grajales to share their recent projects. When their project first started, it was inspired by sophisticated Mayan houses that were tied to the land. They found that these houses went with the cycles of the environment, seasons, and the type of wood that were native to their area. With rising issues of migration and urban expansion, the loss of traditional ways of life and ancestral buildings are decreasing. Within their community, they found that the government was in opposition to traditional housing because they think traditional housing is unsafe from the biodegradable materials used to create the homes. In reality, the materials like concrete and steel degrade faster. In an attempt to restore Mexico, Grajales argues that "there is a relationship between the land, agriculture, and living space." When there is less integration of architecture into the environment, there is a rupture in the social fabric, local economy, food system, and creates poverty. Although the incorporation of traditional architecture into communities is vital, the evolving social dynamics in communities have changed the way that people practice their traditions, which resulted from the loss of knowledge. Additionally, villages of Mexican communities say that traditional homes are more comfortable compared to the younger generations who prefer concrete homes because of the status it implies. The obstacles they face in their communities do not stop them from wanting to preserve their culture, and they continue to fight for more traditional customs and traditions in their community.

Wesseler, Sarah. "Mexico's Traditional Housing is Disappearing - and with it, a way of life - The Architectural League of New York." Architectural League. 10 April 2018, https://archleague.org/article/mexicos-traditional- housing-disappearing-way-life. Accessed 29 January 2024.

Photos:

Onnis Luque. “Modified Mayan Houses” . The Architectural League NY. 10 April, 2018. archleague.org. Accessed 3 March 2024.

Sharp. Mike. “Quintana Roo MX Mayan Village” Wikimedia Commons. 4 May 2007. Web. commons.wikimedia.org. Accessed 3 March 2024.

Action Plan 1 and 2

Action Plan 1

For my first action plan, I emailed the president of the Navajo Nation to get answers about the current state of the issue.

Photo:

Begay, Maria. Action Plan 1 SHP. 07 March 2024. Author's personal collection.

Action Plan 2 : Revitalizing Traditional Architecture and Building Mini Homes

Begay, Maria. Action Plan 2 SHP. 08 April 2024. Author's personal collection.

Begay, Maria. Action Plan Building Mini Homes. 08 April 2024. Author's personal collection.

My purpose for this Action Plan was to increase students' knowledge of their own traditional architecture and get them interested in incorporating traditions into their everyday lives.

Hero Slide

My hero is my mother, Phoebe Begay. She has taught me so much and encouraged me to do my best in everything that I do.

Photo:

Begay, Maria. Hero Slide. 08 April 2024. Author's personal collection.

Citations

Bibliography

Armstrong, Jeanette. “Sharing One Skin: The Okanagan Community,” in Jerry Mander and Edward Goldsmith (eds), The Case Against the Global Economy. San Francisco, CA, Sierra Club Books, 1996. Pp 460-470

Baldwin, Eric. “Architecture is Vital to Native Culture: Sam Olbekson on Indigenous Design and Social Justice.” Arch Daily, 09 August 2021, https://www.archdaily.com/948150/architecure-is-vital-to-native-culture-sam-olbekson-on-indigenous-design-and-social -justice. Accessed 25 November 2023.

Cowan, Lee, director. “The Navajo Water Lady.” CBS Sunday Morning, 2015, youtube.com, https://www,youtube.com/watchv=hk8rm9EsET4&t=925. Accessed 25 November 2023.

Devault, Kayla. "The Lost Indigenous Housing Designs."YES! Magazine, 29 May 2018, https://www.yesmagazine.org/issue/affordable/ housing/2018/05/29/colonialism-and-the-lost-indigenous-housing-designs. Accessed 30 January 2024.

Frank, Andrew K. “Native Americans in the 17th Century.” Native Americans in U.S. History, Facts On File, 2018. American Indian History, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=18626&itemid=WE43&articleId=358121. Accessed 20 Oct. 2023

French, Ian. "Traditional Architecture - Are we losing the battle to love it?" Ian French, 9 July 2021, https://Ianfrench.medium.com/ traditional- architecture-are-we-losing-the-battle-to-love-it-9e8f0d6012b9. Accessed 29 January 2024.

Galvin, Gaby, and Elliot, Davis. “Across the U.S Disparities in Indian Country Emerge Through Tribal Housing.” US News.com, 23 September 2017, https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2017-09-23/across-the-us-disparities-in-indian-country-emerge-through-tribal-housing. Accessed 25 November 2023.

Lekson, Stephen H., et al. Chaco Canyon: A Center and Its World. Museum of New Mexico Press, 1994.

Sonneborn, Liz. “Overview: Native American Boarding Schools and Assimilation.” Native American Boarding Schools and Assimilation, Facts On File, 2022. American Indian History, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=18626&itemid=WE43&articleId=643652. Accessed 20 Oct. 2023.

Suina, Joseph. “And Then I Went to School, Memories of a Pueblo Childhood,” pp 1-6, Reprint with permission of the author from the New Mexico Journal of reading, winter 1985, Vol. V, No. 2, “Rainbird” illustrations by Tom Lea from H.P. Mora, Pueblo designs.

Toastie, B. “How place names impact the way we see landscape.” High Country News: Know the West, 1 May 2022, https://www.hcn.org/issues/54.5/people-places-how-place-names-impact-the-way-we-see-landscape.

Wesseler, Sarah. "Mexico's Traditional Housing is Disappearing - and with it, a way of life - The Architectural League of New York." Architectural League. 10 April 2018, https://archleague.org/article/mexicos-traditional- housing-disappearing-way-life. Accessed 29 January 2024.

Photo Citations