What is the Spirit of the Corn Mothers? Why are women’s stories so important to the survival of the planet and how these stories give us all hope for a better future. The Return of the Corn Mothers project is a labor of love that collaborators Renee Fajardo of MSU Denver Chicana/o Studies Journey Through Our Heritage program, photographer Todd Pierson, editor Ed Winograd and others have passionately pursued since 2008. This multi-generational and multi-cultural exhibit of stories and portraits features over 70 women, each who recounts in story form the women who influenced them in their life journey. Hear the inspiration behind the inspiration. Please visit cornmothers.com for more information. Renee Fajardo is a mother of seven and a cultural activist who has spent the past 30 years preserving and promoting the rich heritage of Colorado’s multi-cultural communities through her work as a storyteller and writer. She has co-authored the numerous books in the Tummy Tale series ( Holy Mole Guacamole plus seven other books) that preserve family food traditions of Colorado. She has written hundreds of articles celebrating Latinx artist, culture and historic insights. She is the co-founder of the Return of the Corn Mothers project a national traveling exhibition that highlights women’s stories from the South West.
Since 2010 she has been the director of the Metropolitan State University Chicana/o Studies Journey Through Our Heritage program. She is the board chair of the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council. In 2018 she was inducted into the Denver Public Library César Chavez Leadership Hall of Fame This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx