Haudenosaunee couple prepare to build earth ship

A Six Nations family are building an earth ship on the territory. Married couple Skyler and Kahsenniyo Williams, have recently broke ground in their anticipated eco-friendly and self-sustainable dream home.

According to Kahsenniyo, “We are building an earth ship which will be made from recycled materials, mostly tires and dirt. We are building it ourselves with help from friends and family.”

local couple

With other global issues such as pollution and diseases caused by humans and their technologies, many of the animal and plant species on this planet are on the verge of extinction and with the overall imbalance in which modern man has created on Mother Earth, many people are starting to realize this is a global problem. Some are taking this one step further and are actually finding solutions and ways to make it possible to go back to that state of balance in living on this earth, the way our ancestors lived. This movement has come in many forms but one of the most effective so far is building self-sustaining homes.

In a world where over half of the world’s population lives in poverty and the cost of living is continuously rising, the wages of the average person stays that same, earthships can provide an economical alternative to standard housing. In a 2013 global report, almost half the world, that is, over 3 billion people, live on less than $2.50 a day.

Earth ships are designed in such a way as to not rely on hydro companies, or natural gas companies to fuel homes. Owners of earthships do not get outrageous or obscene hydro, water and natural gas bills every month. These eco-friendly homes are designed to be completely self-sustainable and rely on passive solar heating, and techniques to capture and safely store rain water.

According to the popular website www.earthship.com, the goals of having an earthship are, “To prove that sustainable and affordable methods of housing exist. To prove that with organization and skill development, communities can provide this housing for themselves with locally sourced labour and materials, through hands-on education and training. To engage a community in an environmentally conscious project, to enhance community knowledge and understanding of sustainability concepts. To provide a family with economic independence from fluctuating energy and water costs. To offer a positive, and practical solution to a country wide housing and environmental crisis.”CUTLINE_3

To learn more about earthships and sustainable living, Skyler and Kahsenniyo Williams will be offering free workshops through the upcoming months. Kahsenniyo told the Two Row Times, “We will be providing workshops throughout the summer of 2014. You will get free hands on training of how to build an off the grid self-sustaining home with all the comforts of modern living. You will learn about: earth bags, tire construction, solar panels, and grey water systems.”

Kahsenniyo also wanted to explain, “These houses are so gentle on the earth yet you can still live with all the comforts of modern living. A lot of people, when they hear off grid living, they think you will struggle and life will be difficult and more work but with these houses that is not the case.”

Workshops are free and there will also be camping space available. The location is 2687 Fifth Line. Dates are: Aug 8th@ 5-9 pm; Aug 9 and 10th@ 9-6pm; Aug 15@5-9pm; Aug 16 and 17@ 9-6pm; Aug 22@ 5-9pm; Aug 23 and 24 from 9-6pm; Aug 29 from 5-9pm and Aug 30-31 from 9-6pm. There will also be more dates in September. For more information contact Kahsenniyo Tahnee Williams at 519-802-1304.

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