Selu: Seeking the Corn-Mother's Wisdom explained

Selu: Seeking the Corn-Mother's Wisdom
Author:	Marilou Awiakta
Country:	United States
Publisher:	Fulcrum
Pub Date:	1993
Isbn:	9781555911447

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.

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

Awiakta draws on Cherokee basket double-weaving traditions throughout the book.^[5]

Adaptations

Selu was later adapted into a Grammy-nominated audio recording.^[6]

Notes and References

1. Book: Basinger. James David. Weaving Accessibility and Art in Marilou Awiakta's Selu: Seeking the Corn-Mother's Wisdom (MA Thesis). 2001. 4. 8 May 2017. en . East Tennessee State University.
2. Book: Cornell. Caleigh. Re-Weaving A Decolonized South In Contemporary Cherokee Women's Poetry (MA Thesis). 2014. 29. English . San Diego State University. 10211.3/121878.
3. Shurbutt. S. Bailey. Where Mountain Meets Atom, Within the Healing Circle: The Writing of Marilou Awiakta. Journal of Appalachian Studies. 1 January 2005. 11. 1/2. 196.
4. Web site: THE CHEROKEES & INDIGENOUS PEOPLES . Appalachian Mountain Books . 2023-08-02.
5. Book: Cornell. Caleigh. Re-Weaving A Decolonized South In Contemporary Cherokee Women's Poetry. 2014. 27. 10211.3/121878. English.
6. Book: Olson. Ted. Flora. Joseph. Vogel. Amber. Southern writers: a new biographical dictionary. 2006. Louisiana State Univ. Press. Baton Rouge. 0807131237. 12. Marilou Awiakta.