2019 Indigenous Communities Fellowship
Taking Care of our Earth-Itah Tutsqwat aw Tunatyawtotani
Our tagline:
Keeping recyclable waste from being illegally dumped in sacred lands.
Our pitch:
On both the Navajo and Hopi reservation there is a major problem with illegal dumping blemishing our sacred lands. Cloud Nine Recycling a business owned by Tyler Tawahongva has made it possible for community members to drop off or arrange pickup of white goods for recycling ,preventing possible illegal dumping of these items in the desert. We also provide employment opportunities for individuals as well as provide payment for certain higher value recyclable metals. Currently we operate in the Tuba City area which includes both the Hopi and Navajo reservations. We would like to expand service to be able to offer the same services reservation wide with mobile pickups in other communities, in lieu of more permanent locations. The immediate benefit is the removal of unsightly appliances in residential areas which restores the natural beauty of the area and prevents possible illegal dumping of these items. The long term goal includes removal of unwanted vehicles that are a prevalent feature of native communities. This expansion would give employment opportunities as well as restore the beauty of communities.The biggest barrier preventing expansion is not having the capacity to transport items from other areas. Currently moving trucks have been rented but with procurement of our own moving truck and equipment we would be able to expand our project to a more larger area. Cloud Nine Recycling has been a presence in the area for 5 years and has influenced local communities to take things into there own hands. Community clean up days and other beautification project are now common in Tuba City and Hopi villages. Cloud Nine Recycling has been self supporting except for an award from a non profit in 2014 which enabled us to continue our work sustain us to our current level. We feel we are ready to take things to the next level and expand. This will bring our presence to other communities and spread awareness and we hope inspire other communities to take things into their own hands by community cleanup days and recycling best practices. This model worldwide where we as individuals take responsibility and become stewards of the earth.
Kwa kwa (Thank you)
Our pitch (video):
Our solution's stage of development:
GrowthWhere our project is located:
Tuba City, AZ, USAWhere our solution team is headquartered or located:
Tuba City, AZ, USAHow we use technology in our project:
We currently use social media app Facebook to get the word out and coordinate pickup of items. This provides real time communication to customers. We also utilize a Quickbook small business app for our tracking of mileage, expenses and revenue all this on mobile phones.
What makes our project innovative:
Before our presence there were no recycling services available in the area. Since we have become a presence individuals are able to drop off white goods and other recyclable items anytime. Local communities and villages have been inspired to do their own do it yourself-hands on cleanup projects. We feel we have inspired communities by our presence.
How our project will be accessible and affordable to our community:
Currently we are available to the community daily for drop off of items in the local area. We currently do not charge a fee in order not to discourage people from utilizing our service.
In the Tuba City/Moencopi area are approximately 10,000 plus people. On the Hopi reservation there are another 10.000 plus people. While we currently deal with the adult population all members are directly impacted by the beautification of residences and prevention of illegal dumping.
Our future project goals:
Our goal is to reach more communities on the Navajo and Hopi reservation with mobile collection services and start offering broken down vehicle removal for recycling which is also a problem on the reservation. We will impact entire communities by beautification of communities and residential areas by the removal of unwanted items.
Highlights from our project:
In 2014 Ckoud Nine Recycling was awarded the Green Business in Indian Country award by Trees, Water and People out of Ft. Collins Co. with that came media attention through newspaper, radio and television. CNR also participated in the Native American Business Incubator Network through the Grand Canyon Trust in Flagstaff, Arizona and has received media coverage as developing business mentoring and networking.
5 people rotating
Why we are applying to Solve:
The solve reward will allow us to procure equipment to get us to the next level of expansion and offer services to other communities. It is also beneficial to gain attention to our cause to bring awareness and inspire other communities to take recycling programs into there own hands. Hopefully we can become a worldwide model to help bring awareness to the dire need of recycling. Taking Care of our Earth-"Itah Tutsqwat aw Tunatyatotani" (Hopi)
The organizations we are currently working with:
Cloud nine Recycling has worked intermittently with the Native American Business Network. We have in the past worked with local businesses and institutions such as schools, hospitals, churches and businesses procure recyclable waste such as cardboard however were limited by our capacity. We have also coordinated with local chapter houses and villages to pickup recyclable waste.
Organizations we would like to partner with:
In the past we have worked with local businesses, hospitals, schools, villages and local organizations as well as local governing bodies to help implement programs to eliminate unwanted items for recycling. In Hopi there are village governance and Navajo has chapter organizations we would like establish partnerships. There is also the opportunity to work at the Tribal level to somehow implement our project so it is beneficial to both parties and cover more area.
Solution Team
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Tyler Tawahongva Cloud Nine Recycling
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Our Solution
Taking Care of our Earth-Itah Tutsqwat aw Tunatyawtotani