TAOS, NM
Corn has been a staple among tribes in the Americas for thousands of years. It provides more than food, however, and is an intimate part of their lives. Dennis Wall and Virgil Masayesva (Hopi), in an article for the journal American Indian Quarterly, wrote, “For traditional Hopis, corn is the central bond. Its essence, physically, spiritually, and symbolically, pervades their existence. For the people of the mesas corn is sustenance, ceremonial object, prayer offering, symbol, and sentient being unto itself. Corn is the Mother in the truest sense that people take in the corn and the corn becomes their flesh, as mother milk becomes the flesh of the child.”
Randy Brokeshoulder is of Hopi, Navajo and Shawnee heritage. He learned katsina carving from his father and his brother.…
