Building Trust One Brick at a Time
Trust is the foundation of any thriving community, especially in our fair valley, and even more when times are volatile, unpredictable, brittle. And after living in and around Taos for the past forty years, I can safely say it has always been a community unified by its desire to preserve a special place, coupled with some deep and painful historical divisions. Like most American history, the shared history of Taos has been one of bitter grievances and old wounds. It is also a community united in a deep desire to protect the land and precarious ways of being. It is truly a fragile and splintered ecosystem.
Which is why when I found myself helping Kevin Whitefeather dig post holes out on the Pueblo so we could shore up his buffalo pasture, I felt such a sense of gratitude. Mr. Whitefeather could not have been more welcoming. There were ten of us on a frosty October morning standing on Pueblo land, invited by someone looking to build bridges. Someone extending a welcoming hand that said, “Hey, can you lend a hand? Can you take a moment to hear my story? Can I hear your story? Can we start to build a sense of community?”
We were a diverse group – some of Mr. Whitefeather’s family members, some newcomers to Taos, some old-timers, a couple of hard-working (!!) teens, and a baby. A Time Banker Baby! We fell into a rhythm, all of us, sinking fenceposts, passing around the baby, some of us digging, some of us swinging axes, all of us taking a moment to breathe deeply and get to know one another. Nothing builds unity faster than shared purpose.
When we open a door like this, we create the opportunity to build trust, to heal old wounds. We are creating the conditions for belonging, being seen, and building community. For a community to thrive, trust is the glue that holds it all together. The pillars of trust—transparency, reliability, empathy, and shared responsibility—must be built intentionally. We strengthen them when we listen to one another, follow through on commitments, communicate openly, and show up consistently for community efforts.
How lucky are we that Taos Timebank provides these windows and doors so that we can get to know our neighbors and build community. Whether we are making kids’ meals, making adobe bricks, building grain bins, digging fencepost holes, we show up not just to get the job done, but to establish trust, to heal invisible divisions, and build tangible community. In small, interconnected towns like ours, these actions ripple quickly, reinforcing a sense of belonging and reciprocity.
As we face a turbulent future, community is not only cultural—it is survival. From wildfire response to local food networks, interdependence breathes resilience into our lives. A community built on trust can face uncertainty, provide belonging, and give us a chance to repair divisions that have been reinforced for centuries. Reparations and healing take time. It is going to take all of us, and the moment is right, and we have the platform to lean in, connect, and build trust. Together we can restore Taos, one adobe brick, one fencepost hole, one kids’ meal at a time.