Navajo Weaving
Long ago, Spiderwoman taught the Navajo to weave. Come, see how the Grandmothers preserved their stories, weaving prayer and beauty into cloth. This is an art form and a healing discipline. Let your hands remember.
Cost: Supplies

Cob And Green Building
The word cob comes from Old English and refers to a lump or round mass and to the material it comprises: sand, straw and clay. The ancient art of building with cob is making a revival throughout the world. Inexpensive and durable, warm and cozy, and environmentally sound. We will be cob building and exploring other styles of "green building," such as cordwood and straw bale as we work on garden walls, greenhouse, and outdoor oven. Lots of fun and kids love it!

Learning from the Land
Our commitment to the land continues in these seasonal gatherings. We learn techniques of conservation and restoration from the land and from each other. 


Special Guests:

Scott Brown is cofounder of Restorative Divorce and the Colorado Center for Restorative Practices. He is a peacemaker trained by the Colorado Peacemaker Institute, and has completed comprehensive training in the Hakomi Method of Psychotherapy. He is a trained mediator and holds a master’s degree in Transpersonal Psychology and Ecopsychology from Naropa University. 

Scott has volunteered as a restorative justice facilitator with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office and the Longmont Community Justice Partnership, and served as interim restorative justice coordinator for the Sheriff’s Office. He also teaches meditation at the Boulder County jail and leads workshops in Restorative Activism. 

Scott experienced his divorce in 2006 as a wake up call to change his life, and has undergone a focused and intensive life transition since that time. His own experience informs his belief that Restorative Practice can be a powerful stepping stone on the path of awakening to one’s fullest potential. 

Prior to taking an active interest in personal growth, Scott was a professional environmental campaigner for 15 years, working for Greenpeace, the Idaho Conservation League, and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. He also spent five years as an organic farmer before moving to Boulder in 2006. An avid yoga and outdoor enthusiast, he brings a grounded, peaceful presence to his work.

Fodé Camara of Guinea, West Africa has toured the US and Canada the past six years during Famoudou Konaté’s “From Hand to Hand - Wassa Kunba” Drumming Experience Workshop Tour. This will be his third trip to Echo Valley. 

Fodé is a specialist in the dunun (bass drum) orchestra, particularly the 

Helen Bond is a dynamic percussionist, teacher and storyteller who engages diverse audiences and students of all ages through the joy, energy and healing power of traditional West African hand drumming and songs. Music has been an inspiration and source of strength and resiliency for Helen since her childhood.

For the last twelve years, Helen has traveled regularly to Guinea, West Africa to study the intricate musical traditions and culture of the Malinke people, whose ancestors created the djembe and dunun drums centuries ago. She lives among the local people in the capital city of Conakry and in Sangbaralla Village in the Hamana Region of Guinea, the birthplace of Famoudou Konate, (Grand Master of the djembe drum and its orchestra) and Nansady Keita (his renowned nephew). Through intensive and long-term study with Famoudou and other accomplished djembe folas, dancers and griots (oral historians), Helen has developed and deepened her skill and repertoire in the Malinke rhythms and songs and her understanding of their role in village life.

She is founder of Motherland Rhythm Community, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization focused on creating community and connecting cultures through hand drumming, co-founder of Benkadi Project, which offers charitable assistance to address education, health and basic human needs in Guinea, and the Diamana Diya and Mboray Nani performance ensembles.

Helen performs and teaches classes in Malinke percussion for children and adults in the Chicago area, including regular workshops at the Round Lake Beach Cultural & Civic Center in Round Lake Beach, and the Jack Benny Center for the Arts in Waukegan. She is adjunct-faculty at Lake Forest College where she teaches the “West African Drumming Ensemble” class. Her workshops provide a unique and energizing opportunity to experience the joy and power of community drumming. Helen’s accessible and patient teaching style allows students of all ages and abilities - from complete novices to experienced players -- to progress steadily in skill and experience and grasp the complex and intricate melodies and polyrhythms of West African music.