Touch the Earth

by Star Liana York

Size: 54" x 24" x 22"
Medium: Bronze
Edition Size: 35

Corn pollen is still a sacred part of ritual blessings and prayers in many Native American cultures. This tradition is the inspiration behind "Touch the Earth". In some tribes, particularly the Navajo, pollen is used for blessing the most simple act, person or place, as well as in the most elaborate ceremonies. The power of the pollen is considered greatly enhanced by dusting the wings of an eagle or hawk, captured for such purposes. The bird, placed over a buckskin, will shake off the pollen, which is then carefully gathered from the buckskin and kept in a pollen pouch for future use in blessings and prayers.
In "Touch the Earth", the woman is using the pollen for a prayer. The hawk suggests the strength of the pollen's power, and she is barefoot, touching the earth to further open the channel between herself and the spirit world.