As I approached this stone, I felt a calling to create a Pueblo Corn Maiden. In Pueblo Indian culture, corn is the symbol of life. Corn Maiden is the grandmother of the sun and the light. I honor the sun and the light because we are all given the gift of life by this incredible power. The Corn Maiden lovingly brings the fire of the sun into all of our human bodies so that the Creator may bestow unique gifts upon each individual.
The nine holes in the tablita headdress signify the fruits of our Creators’ blessings. These gifts are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I have always been inspired by universal truths. Number nine marks the completion of life, making it the most complex number and the symbol of immutable truth. The tablita’s purpose in the Corn Dance of some Pueblos is to attract rain.
Corn Maiden rises above in the heavens and watches over us. I wanted to depict that in the piece with the Pueblo homes under her care. She is a universal deity that I ultimately adore.
– Robert Dale Tsosie
