Everything depends on the corn: As crops wither, the Hopi fear for their way of life

[grulla]

Ian James
Nov. 30, 2020

On a barren patch of sandy ground, Beatrice Norton stood beside her son examining the rows of corn.
A few of the biggest cornstalks grew waist-high. Most of the plants were knee-high or smaller. Some had shriveled, failing to produce any corn.
This year's harvest brought sadness and disappointment as they picked through the field their family has farmed for generations.
In most years, the stalks stand chest-high and the corn is bursting with plump kernels. This year, when Norton and her son pulled back the dry husks, they found the ears of corn were stunted and meager, some missing kernels in patches on the bare cobs.
“It's all dried out,” Norton said, looking across the field. “It's very disheartening. It makes your heart very unhappy.”

Continue reading: https://www.azcentral.com/in-depth/news/local/arizona-environment/2020/11/30/hopi-tribe-withering-corn-crops-show-impact-climate-change/5931561002/

[Islander]

Periodic droughts have been postulated as one explanation for the relative suddenness with which some ancient pre-Columbian settlements have been abandoned, like the Mayans in Yucatan.

[grulla]

Periodic droughts have been postulated as one explanation for the relative suddenness with which some ancient pre-Columbian settlements have been abandoned, like the Mayans in Yucatan.

At least two of many ancient NM tribes that come to my mind, that were suspectedly lost due to drought, were the Anasazi in N.W. NM, and the Mimbres Tribe in S.W. NM (where I live), as well as S.E. AZ, and northern Mexico. The hour old filly dun foal under the mare's chin in the avatar pic was pedigree registered as Mimbres, (aka Mimi).

My late MIL was always uncovering shards of pottery that the Mimbres smashed when they relocated. If one is fortunate enough to uncover a whole complete Mimbres pottery, it could be due to the tribe having to move in a hurry with no time for smashing the pottery due to, say, a sudden lightning induced forest or range wild fire.