American Clay recently took part in plastering a traditional hogan on the Ramah Navajo Reservation in Pine Hill, NM.

Recently rewarded with a grant to build a straw bale hogan using locally harvested Ponderosa Pine, the project is an attempt to bring the Navajo elders and young children together in a traditional setting to exchange stories and Navajo culture. The Ramah Continuing Education Department, along with The Navajo Weavers Guild, plan to use the hogan as a meeting area and classroom, offering traditional classes in language, weaving and Navajo culture.

In traditional Navajo culture the hogan is the center of life. Inside, the design and layout of the space mimics their traditional religion. The door faces east to welcome the new day and the fireplace is located in the middle.

The straw bales were covered with a site-based clay plaster. This base clay plaster was not very smooth, but high spots to low spots did not vary more that 1/16″. By using the Enjarre-Quartzite product in the window wells, more natural light is pulled into the building with only one coat. The rest of the walls were finished with a blend of Loma and Marittimo.

In Navajo mythology, the “white shell” plays a pivotal role, acting as an instrument for creation in the story of White Shell Woman. Because of this intimate connection, the elders in the Weavers Guild wanted the shell-which is the sand in the Marittimo product-incorporated into the plaster. The Loma-Marittimo blend allowed us to incorporate the shell into the plaster and created an amazing finish. Easy to work with, we were able to do one coat of the blend over the base clay plaster.
Tim White
Product Development
American Clay Enterprises, LLC