I am so excited to have this t-shirt back in stock. We launched it years ago as the first design for our Tee Club (gosh that was fun!) - it was an instant hit and for good reason! It is the Blue Corn Sovereignty Tee by Jared Yazzie of OxDx Clothing.
Not only is it a cool design, it is also packed with meaning.
He explains, "My grandparents took care of a few acres of corn fields and squash fields in a hand-built cabin near Shonto on the Navajo Rez. My family would walk the rows of corn, pick the fully grown ones, and toss them in the back of my dad's truck. We'd fill his truck bed multiple times easily and go through the processes of steaming corn through the mud oven we built, or roasting corn over a fire, or grinding corn to make kneel down bread."
"Food is what brought us together and what taught us hard work. We were independent by growing food that loved us back, nothing packed with sugar or preservatives that looks to endanger our health. Through this design I've shown blue corn at harvest season and included the words RECLAIM and RESTORE to show the strength of food sovereignty."
Food sovereignty is important, now more than ever. People of all backgrounds are waking up to the realities of food insecurity, such as access to affordable clean options, and the related health problems of eating way too many foods that depend heavily upon genetic modification or synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Thankfully, many initiatives are taking place - from backyard gardening, to community plots, seed banks, rematriation processes, and more.
Help keep food sovereignty at the forefront of everyone's minds (yours included!) with this tee. Strike up a conversation, show your values, and guide your upcoming summer growing season intentions and actions.