Corn is one of the most important and ubiquitous crops in human history, but its evolution from teosinte to the genetically modified corn of today is a complex and fascinating story. Professor Salazar teaches a course on corn as part of the Indigenous Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge (ITECK) undergraduate certificate program at PSU. Professor Salazar will share highlights from the course that touch on the origins and history of corn, from its earliest domestication in Mexico to its widespread cultivation around the world.
Hailey Maria Salazar (Yoeme) is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Indigenous Nations Studies department at Portland State University. She is grounded in research and education as a process of reclamation, revitalization, and regeneration of Indigenous Knowledge Systems. Her areas of interest include Indigenous Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge (ITECK), ethnobotany, ethnomusicology, archives, liberative praxis, and data sovereignty. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Native American and Indigenous Studies with a focus on Indigenous medicine and music from The Evergreen State College, and a Master of Arts in Indigenous Education from Arizona State University.
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Marie Watt, Braid, 2003, lithograph, 14 1/2 x 29 inches, Edition CTP 1, Published by Crow's Shadow Institute for the Arts, Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer, Image Credit: Bill Bachuber.
