The fact that these age-old varieties survived the fact that Pawnee corn exists at all in 2021 is a story of tribal perseverance, cutting-edge horticulture and good, old-fashioned cooperation
PAWNEE Each ear of corn was sacred and symbolic.
The husks were gently peeled from the kernels by a group of Pawnee Indians who gathered in 2018 at the Pawnee Nation Round House. The treasure they discovered gleamed for all to see blue-speckled corn, and corn with tan-colored kernels known for its sweetness. This is our Christmas, Sonny Howell said of the unique unveiling.
Each fall, Deb Echo-Hawk gathers members of the Pawnee Nation for The Reveal, an intergenerational assembly hosted by the tribe s Pawnee Seed Preservation Project.
The gatherings are held to show off the latest harvest of corn, special to the Pawnee. As interest in the mother corn grows among Pawnee of all ages, Echo-Hawk believes she is fulfilling her mission.