Corn Spirit

Gerald Dawavendewa (Hopi & Cherokee)

A blue corn plant rises from a rich mound of soil with plant seeds. A migration or journey spiral symbol runs through the corn plant representing the Hopi people and the plant's journey together in this world. Surrounding the plant are dragonflies and butterflies depicted as flowers fluttering across the sky, symbolizing the promise of rain. Finally, a rain cloud and migration design etched the distant mountainside.

Corn originated in Mesoamerica and was domesticated for over ten thousand years. In what is now the American southwest, the earliest corn cultivation is around 2100 BCE. For many indigenous cultures in the southwest, corn is an important food source and defines many aspects of indigenous ceremonies, traditions, and art.