The Women’s Ceremonial Department hosted a corn braiding workshop last week, bringing the community together to preserve and celebrate our sacred White Corn while learning its traditional and medicinal uses. With corn provided by the Seneca-Iroquois National Museum, the class offered a welcoming, hands-on space for cultural learning and connection.
Tuscarora people have maintained their own White Corn lineage for a very long time. Their variety naturally grows longer, slimmer ears compared to Seneca White Corn, which tends to be shorter and thicker.
Members of the Museum and Ceremonial traveled to the Tuscarora Nation earlier this month to harvest the White Corn, thanks to the generosity of the Rickard family, who shared their crop and knowledge.
White Corn is one of our staple, something that’s been there for us in many forms and purposes. It’s sustained our people through famine, became part of our medicines, and has been woven into our daily lives for thousands of years. That’s why continuing these traditions and customs still matter today because they keep us connected to everything that shaped who we are today.
