Green Corn Ceremony

Image taken from http://www.shadowwolf.org/

What is the Green Corn Ceremony (also called the Green Corn Festival)?

(The following information has been taken from MrDonn.org, http://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/greencorn.html)

The Green Corn Festival was celebrated by many Indian tribes in one form or another. These early people were very grateful for their harvests. Tribes held several festivals each year to say prayers of thanks to their gods. One of the most important was the Green Corn Festival. This festival was held in late summer or early fall, when the corn they had planted had ripened on the stalk. The expression "green corn" refers to ripened sweet corn, corn you could eat.

These early people were great farmers. They depended on three staples - corn, beans, and squash. In the Woodland areas, these food items were so important that they had a name. They were called "The Three Sisters". The Three Sisters were mixed together to make a vegetable dish called succotash. But corn was always special.

Even after the Green Corn Festival, some corn was left on the stalk to additionally ripen, to help the drying process. Dried corn and dried corn meal were both very important staple items to help these early people eat well through the long winter ahead.

Ideas for Celebrating the Green Corn Ceremony:

Make a Delicious Native American Meal using Corn. The following website offers a number of Native American Recipes: http://www.manataka.org/page175.html

Image taken from http://www.kitchen.apartmenttherapy.com/

Play an ancient Native American game called the Peach Pit Game. The following website has details and directions for this game, along with other activities: http://nevadaculture.org/docs/nsla/lpd/literacy/summer-reading/people/chap4d.htm

Make corn husk dolls by following the directions on this website: http://www.snowwowl.com/naartcornhuskdolls2.html

Adult Reading List:

1. Native North American religious traditions: Dancing for life, by Jordan D. Paper.
Westport, Conn.: Praeger, ©2007.
Contents: A comprehensive description of various Native American religious beliefs and practices, including the Muskogee Green Corn Ceremony.

2. Yuchi Ceremonial Life: performance, meaning and tradition in a contemporary American Indian community, by Jason Baird Jackson.
Lincoln, Neb.: University of Nebraska Press, ©2005.
Contents: Describes the ceremonies of a contemporary Native American tribe.

3. The Green Corn Festival: A ceremony of the Seminole, by Ernesto Franco and Benhur Sanchez Suarez.
Austin, TX: Voluntad, ©1979.
Contents: Although this book is out of print, it contains valuable information about the history and practice of the Seminole Green Corn Ceremony.

4. Indian dances of North America: Their importance in Indian life, by Reginald Laubin and Gladys Laubin.
Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, ©1977.
Contents: This book includes information about the Green Corn dance, among many others.

5. The Cherokee full circle: A practical guide to sacred ceremonies and traditions, by J.T. Garrett and Michael Tlanusta Garrett.
Rochester, VT: Bear & Company, ©2002.
Contents: The authors present methods of adopting Native American spiritual beliefs.

6. The Columbia guide to American Indians of the Southeast, by Theda Perdue and Michael D. Green.
New York, NY: The Columbia University Press, ©2001.
Contents: The history, cultures, and ceremonial traditions of Native American tribes of the Southeast United States are detailed in this book.

7. Encyclopedia of Native tribes of North America, by Michael Johnson and Richard Hook.
Richmond Hill, Ontario: Firefly Books, ©2007.

Contents: This books provides a comprehensive overview of Native American communities and cultures.

8. Cherokee dance: Ceremonial dances and dance regalia, by Donald Sizemore.

Cherokee, NC: Cherokee, ©1999.
Contents: The Cherokee Green Corn Dance is described in this book.

9. Teaching spirits: Understanding Native American religious traditions, by Joseph Epes Brown and Emily Cousins.

New York, NY: Oxford University Press, ©2001.

Contents: This book contains a series of philosophical essays about Native American religious beliefs and traditions.


Children's Reading List: (Image taken from http://www.manataka.org)

1. The Seminole: patchworkers of the Everglades, by Rachel A. Koestler-Grack.

Mankato, Minn. : Blue Earth Books, ©2003.

Contents: The first Seminole -- Before patchwork -- The first patchwork -- A growing art -- Seminole clothing -- Patchwork for sale -- The green corn ceremony -- The Seminole today.

2. The Seminole, by Caryn Yacowitz. Chicago : Heinemann Library, ©2002.

Contents: Land of sun and swamp -- The first Seminole -- Hunting, fishing, and farming -- Families and clans -- Chickees and dugouts -- Colorful clothing -- Seminole games -- Medicine, religion, and spirits -- A Seminole story -- The Green Corn Ceremony -- The Seminole are divided -- Brave leaders -- Oklahoma and Florida Seminole today -- The Seminole adapt and survive.

3. American Indian Festivals (True Books-American Indians), by Jay Miller. New York: Children's Press, ©1996. Reading Level: Ages 9-12. Contents: This book describes a number of festivals celebrated by Native American tribes, including the Green Corn Ceremony.

4. If You Lived With The Iroquois, by Ellen Levine. New York : Scholastic, ©1998. Contents: The text and colorful illustrations bring to life the traditions, customs, and everyday life of the Iroquois tribe.

5. The Talking Earth, by Jean Craighead George. New York : Harper & Row, ©1983. Summary (taken from Novelist K-8): Thirteen-year-old Billie Wind ventures out alone into the Florida Everglades to test the legends of her Indian ancestors and learns the importance of listening to the earth's vital messages.


Useful Websites:

Cherokee By Blood: This is a great website for learning about the Cherokee tribe. Information on weapons, clothing, music, the Green Corn Ceremony, and more are included on this website. http://www.cherokeebyblood.com/chersociety.htm#C

Oneida Nation of Wisconsin Museum: This is the museum's website that offers information about the Iroquois tribe, including the Green Corn Ceremony. The information about the Green Corn Ceremony explains the legend of Handsome Lake and how the Ceremony came to be. This site would be useful for those interested in learning more about the Iroquois tribe. http://museum.oneidanation.org/education/greenCorn.htm

Web Holidays-Native Americans: This site provides an explanation of the Green Corn Ceremony, as well as links to articles, crafts, food, legends and myths, and their Amazon Store. This site would be helpful for anyone interested in the Green Corn Ceremony, especially for teachers and librarians. http://www.web-holidays.com/native/articles/01.htm

Lesson Plan for Educators: This lesson plan is geared toward educators who teach 5th-6th Grades. It is based on the Green Corn Ceremony that includes a background on the ceremony, as well as numerous activities and ideas to celebrate. http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/TLresources/units/Byrnes-celebrations/corn.html

Lesson Plan for Educators: This lesson plan is geared toward educators who teach 3rd Grade Social Studies and/or Language Arts. It is a creative writing assignment based on the Green Corn Ceremony celebrated by many Native American tribes. http://www.wjcc.k12.va.us/tahg/lessonplans/ocmulgee/elementary/Elementary%20School%20Lesson%20Plans/3rd%20grade%20lesson%20plans/green%20corn3.doc

Green Corn Ceremony Video: This video provides a slideshow of pictures taken at the Green Corn Ceremony celebrated in 2008. http://www.today.com/video/view/all_nations_green_corn_festivalpow_wow/play-yti73PFVtyLQw/

Seminole Tribe of Florida, Green Corn Dance: This page provides links a wealth of information about Seminole culture, including the Green Corn Dance.

http://www.seminoletribe.com/culture/dance.shtml

The Green Corn Festival: MrDonn.org (cited in the overview at the top of this page) illustrates lesson plans and recipes for celebrating the Green Corn Festival in the classroom.

http://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/greencorn.html