Plant Genome Outreach to Native Americans

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Maize Segregation Distortion

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Germplasm Conservation

Traditional Uses of Plants

Protecting corn that is important for navajo traditional ceremonies

Regina Sampson¹, Von Mark Cruz², Cindy Clark³, Maria Erickson³, Lisa Gurke³, Matt Lively³, David Losure³, Joe-Ann McCoy³, Candice Gardner^2&3, and Carolyn Lawrence^2,3,&4

1. Dine College Tsaile, AZ,
2. Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
3. USDA-ARS, Ames, IA
4. Development Genetics, and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA

Maize (Corn) is the most important element in Navajo Ceremonies and maintaining traditional corn has great significance to the Dine (The Navajo People). Maize is important because it is the Navajo people's medicine when they are ill and is also used in everyday life. For example, maize is used to celebrate young girls' transition into womanhood. This summer, methods are being developed to diagnose and track the presence of the Abnormal 10 chromosome in maize. The goal is to determine whether the presence of the Ab10 chromosome is changing the genetic constitution of the traditional corn and to find ways to preserve its original genetic constitution. This is especially important for corn which is used in traditional ceremonies.