# The Corn Mothers

The Corn Mothers and Return of the Corn Mothers: Inspiring Women of the Southwest exhibits are traveling exhibits honoring women in the southwestern U.S.
Corn Mothers are indigenous Mexican deity-figures that represent growth, community, and sustenance. The honorees are Corn Mothers "who have become the backbones of their community. They provide their own types of sustenance, whether that be through their own community work or support of other community members," according to curator Renee Fajardo.
The project began in Denver in 2007 with a small grant from the Rocky Mountain Women's Institute. Eight women were honored in the first year. Fajardo wanted to keep alive the stories and oral history of important aunties in her life, and it expanded to include women in the community.
The creators of the project are curator Fajardo, photographer Todd Pierson, editor Ed Winograd, and graphic designer Toinette Brown. The project was supported by the Chicano Humanities Arts Council; the Colorado Folks Arts Council; MSU Denver’s Department of Chicana/o Studies, the MSU Denver Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Journey Through Our Heritage program and U.S. Bank.
The Return of the Corn Mothers exhibit book was a 2021 Indie Book Awards Publishing Finalist for Coffee Table Book/Photography and Anthology.

## Honorees

Corn Mothers :
| Name | Birth–Death | Year | Location |
| Elizabeth Aragon-Blanton | (b. 1969) | 2019 | Rye, Colorado |
| Amy Banker | | 2012 | Denver, Colorado |
| Lois Burrell | | 2008 | Brighton, Colorado |
| Barbara Clark | | 2010 | Cascabel, Arizona |
| Maria de la Cruz | | 2012 | Aguilar, Colorado |
| Dawn DiPrince | | 2019 | Pueblo, Colorado |
| Amy Duncan | | 2008 | Gila, New Mexico |
| Kristy Duran | | 2016 | Alamosa, Colorado |
| Claudia Ebel | | 2016 | Alamosa, Colorado |
| Geneva Escobedo | (b. 1949) | 2010 | Tucson, Arizona |
| Nellie Escobedo Plasencio | (1925-2014) | 2010 | Safford, Arizona |
| Dora Esquibel | (1937-2012) | 2012 | Denver, Colorado |
| Ann Esquibel Redman | | 2019 | Cheyenne, Wyoming |
| Belinda Garcia | = | 2012 | Crestone, Colorado |
| Concepción Garcia Allen | | 2008 | Santa Fe, New Mexico |
| Peggy Godfrey | | 2016 | Moffat, Colorado |
| Carol Guerrero-Murphy | | 2016 | Alamosa, Colorado |
| Ivette Guzman | | 2008 | Denton, Texas |
| Lois Harvey | | 2008 | Denver, Colorado |
| Carrie Howell | | 2008 | Wheat Ridge, Colorado |
| Sylvia Lee | (b. 1958) | 2013 | Tucson, Arizona |
| Arlette Lucero | | 2012 | Denver, Colorado |
| Lucy Lucero | (1919-2010) | 2008 | Denver, Colorado |
| Oneyda L. Maestas | | 2016 | Alamosa, Colorado |
| Brenda Kay Manuelito | | 2010 | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Tori Vigil Martinez | | 2016 | Capulin, Colorado |
| Rita J. Martinez | (1955-2020) | 2019 | Pueblo, Colorado |
| B. Afeni McNeely Cobham | | 2012 | Denver, Colorado |
| Carolina “Carrie” Sandoval Mejía | (1922-2009) | 2008 | Rye, Colorado |
| Raven Winston Mercado | (b. 1970) | 2010 | Tucson, Arizona |
| Judy Newland | | 2010 | Niwot, Colorado |
| Cynthia Ramu | (b. 1953) | 2019 | Pueblo, Colorado |
| Sara Ransom | (b. 1946) | 2008 | Durango, Colorado |
| Ella Maria Ray | | 2012 | Denver, Colorado |
| Alfiria Casaus (Alfie) Salazar | (1935-2023) | 2019 | Pueblo, Colorado |
| Lisa Saldaña | | 2019 | Denver, Colorado |
| Cherie Karo Schwartz | | 2008 | Denver, Colorado |
| Barbara Shannon-Bannister | | 2008 | Aurora, Colorado |
| Christina Maxine Sigala | (b. 1953) | 2012 | Denver, Colorado |
| Patricia Sigala | | 2008 | Santa Fe, New Mexico |
| Charlene Garcia Simms | | 2019 | Garcia, Colorado |
| Stella Teller | (b. 1929) | 2008 | Isleta Pueblo, New Mexico |
| Jessica Tumposky | | 2008 | Silver City, New Mexico |
| Evelyn Valdez Martinez | | 2008 | Denver, Colorado |
| Bertha A. Velarde | (1957-2018) | 2016 | Alamosa, Colorado |
| Aurora Villareal-Aguilera | (1945-2019) | 2010 | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Rita Flores deWallace Rita Flores deWallace | | 2008 | Denver, Colorado |
| Ellen Alires-Trujillo | (1952-2023) | 2022 | Boulder, Colorado |
| Batkhishig Batochir | (b. 1969) | 2022 | Denver, Colorado |
| Genevieve Canales | | 2022 | Greeley, Colorado |
| Alicia Cardenas | (1977-2021) | 2022 | Denver, Colorado |
| Tina Cartagena | (b. 1953) | 2022 | Denver, Colorado |
| Connie Margaret Coca | (b. 1943) | 2022 | Laramie, Wyoming |
| Juliana Aragón Fatula | | 2022 | Cañon City, Colorado |
| Karen D. Gonzales | | 2022 | Denver, Colorado |
| Norma Johnson | | 2022 | Boulder, Colorado |
| Elena Holly Klaver | | 2022 | Niwot, Colorado |
| Lucha Aztzin Martínez de Luna | | 2022 | Golden, Colorado |
| Deborah Martinez-Martinez | | 2022 | Rye, Colorado |
| Jennifer McBride | | 2022 | Parker, Colorado |
| Laura (Laurita) Naranjo | | 2022 | Denver, Colorado |
| Adrienne Norris | | 2022 | Denver, Colorado |
| Erica Padilla | | 2022 | Denver, Colorado |
| Jo Elizabeth Pinto | | 2022 | Brighton, Colorado |
| Sandra Ortega | (b. 1952) | 2022 | San Luis, Colorado |
| Shirley Romero Otero | (b. 1955) | 2022 | San Luis, Colorado |
| Evangeline Roybal Sena | | 2022 | Blanca, Colorado |
| Marge Taniwaki | | 2022 | Denver, Colorado |
| Jeanette Trujillo-Lucero | | 2022 | Denver, Colorado |