Harvest & Gratitude
Indigenous Peoples have celebrated the harvest from the field and forest for millennia. The harvest comes at the end of the growing season and at such time they express their gratitude in various forms of celebration. The tradition of thankfulness is interwoven into the Legend of Three Sisters. That legend tells the story of three sisters who grew crops such as corn, beans, and squash. These three main crops ‘corn, beans, and squash’ were called the “Three Sisters” and were usually grown together. Although the tradition included various crops such as turnips, potatoes and carrots pumpkins, nuts, berries and some game, the “three sisters” legend focusses on three crops — corn, beans and squash. The celebration recognizes the spirits in which they believed acted on their behalf to give them food. It is also a celebration to express their gratitude for surviving winter and the bounteous yield as a result of their hard work.
My paintings below are intended to capture some of the traditions of thankfulness by indigenous peoples for a bountiful harvest:
Legend of the Three Sisters
Six Nations Harvest
Corn Harvest
Roraima Art Gallery © Copyright 2023
All Rights Reserved
Roraima Art Gallery 