Selu: Seeking the Corn-Mother's Wisdom is a 1993 book by Marilou Awiakta. It uses poems, essays, and drawings to explore themes of unity and diversity.[1] Awiakta uses the Cherokee story of corn as a "compass-story" to keep readers oriented throughout her lessons.
 | |
| Author | Marilou Awiakta |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Fulcrum |
Publication date | 1993 |
| Publication place | United States |
| ISBN | 9781555911447 |
The book draws on Cherokee storytelling traditions, the Appalachian landscape, and observations of contemporary society to provide "tribal-specific, decolonizing lessons".[2] She also uses the book to explore connections between her claimed Celtic, Scots-Irish, and Cherokee descent.[3] Despite self-identifying as having Eastern Band Cherokee heritage, Awiakta is not a citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.[4]
Basketweaving
editAwiakta draws on Cherokee basket double-weaving traditions throughout the book.[5]
Adaptations
editSelu was later adapted into a Grammy-nominated audio recording.[6]
References
edit- ^ Basinger, James David (2001). Weaving Accessibility and Art in Marilou Awiakta's Selu: Seeking the Corn-Mother's Wisdom (MA Thesis). East Tennessee State University. p. 4. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
- ^ Cornell, Caleigh (2014). Re-Weaving A Decolonized South In Contemporary Cherokee Women's Poetry (MA Thesis). San Diego State University. p. 29. hdl:10211.3/121878.
- ^ Shurbutt, S. Bailey (1 January 2005). "Where Mountain Meets Atom, Within the Healing Circle: The Writing of Marilou Awiakta". Journal of Appalachian Studies. 11 (1/2): 196.
- ^ "THE CHEROKEES & INDIGENOUS PEOPLES". Appalachian Mountain Books. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
- ^ Cornell, Caleigh (2014). Re-Weaving A Decolonized South In Contemporary Cherokee Women's Poetry. p. 27. hdl:10211.3/121878.
- ^ Olson, Ted (2006). "Marilou Awiakta". In Flora, Joseph; Vogel, Amber (eds.). Southern writers: a new biographical dictionary. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State Univ. Press. p. 12. ISBN 0807131237.