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I am so proud of my beautiful mother, a live embodied Diety, warrior, selfless giver, nurturer, actor, the glue and all around creative genius Batkhishig Batochir who is one of the 22 women being honored as a Corn Mother in 2022. I am who I am because of my mother, she is my everything on this Earth. She has taught me the meaning of unconditional love and support, how to give and accept love. I am beyond blessed to have you as my mother. You will always be my hero and inspiration. Bondgor eejdee ohin n hamgaas ih hairtai shuu❤️

Join in the rich tradition of honoring Southwest women at this public event. Open to all, this celebration includes light food, entertainment, and the induction of 22 women to the Corn Mothers family.

Return of the Corn Mothers

SEP 16, 2022

Inspiring Women of the Southwest

Return of the Corn Mothers marks a three-year effort to honor twenty-two new Corn Mothers in 2022. What began in 2007 with a small grant from the Rocky Mountain Women’s Institute and eight local women, has now expanded to include more than seventy women. Join in the rich tradition of honoring Southwest women through this revitalized exhibit. Share in an intergenerational gathering and honor the unsung heroes of the community, and celebrate the induction of 22 women to the Corn Mothers family.

The Indigenous peoples of southern Mexico started domesticating maize over 9,000 years ago. As cultivation of the once wild grass spread throughout the “Americas” and globally, the significance of this life-giving food was immortalized in legend and story. Among Southwest Pueblo peoples, the iconic Corn Mother deity embodied growth, life, creativity, community, and creation.

The Return of the Corn Mothers project is a book and photographic and written history exhibition of multi-generational and multi-cultural women from the Southwest who exemplify the essence of Corn Mother.

This project showcases southwestern women across cultures and generations who exemplify the essence of Corn Mother. Photographer Todd Pierson, editor Ed Winograd, graphic designer Toinette Brown, and curator Renee Fajardo, in conjunction with MSU Denver Chicana/o Studies, the Colorado Folk Arts Council, and the Chicano Humanities Arts Council, have spent fifteen years documenting the stories of women, chosen by their communities, who have made selfless contributions and creative endeavors to better the lives of others.