‘Barbie’s Village’ aims to help Native American families

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Rose bushes currently cover some of the land in Northeast Portland where tiny homes will one day bloom in the name of a woman who fought to help indigenous families in need.

The Future Generations Collaborative intends to create “Barbie’s Village” which will house between 6-10 Native American families in need and feature an early childhood program. The beginning stages are taking shape at the long-empty Presbyterian Church of Laurelhurst, whose land was gifted as part of the Land Back movement.

The planned village will be named for Atwai Barbie Jackson Shields, a member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs who at one time struggled to find housing. She died suddenly in 2017.

“She advocated a lot for the Native community to have stable housing, affordable housing,” said Chenoa Landry. “She put her heart and soul into this work, volunteering her time. and she really understood the irony of being houseless in our homelands.”

Landry said the church had been doing “their own anti-racism work and they had heard about the Land Back movement.”

The Presbytery of the Cascades approved the transfer of the empty church and land to the FGC for $1 in March 2024.

“It wasn’t just about a land gift. It was land back, and repatriating the land and also with a lot of intention and good thought and prayer went into it,” Landry said.

The Multnomah County Joint Office of Homeless Services granted the FGC $300,000 to kickstart the project.

Construction inside the church is underway, adding natural materials to be eco-friendly. But the project will be costly. They’ve already spent half of the grant money — $150,000 — to replace the HVAC system. The entire project is estimated to cost about $5 million.

The Future Generations Collaborative is determined to honor and remember Barbie’s legacy — even with the steep price tag — because of the long-term benefits to families.

“We would hope the funding we’re able to secure will be flexible to where we’re not only able to serve the community, but that they’ll have the opportunity to take the time they need to get themselves where they need to be to have their own stable housing,” Landry said.

https://www.koin.com/news/portland/barb ... -families/