7-13-2025 10:55pm

Columbus' Connection to Bible History through Its Native Yuchi Indian Tribe

S RENEE GREENE Editor

Columbus, Georgia Black history has a deep connection with biblical history.

The original Yuchi native Americans (Indians) were Black. They inhabited the region today formerly known as "Fort Benning," now known as Fort Moore, Georgia.

The Yuchi attended a religious ceremony called “Green Corn or Busk”, celebrating their first fruits. Ancient Israel had a religious ceremony observing their first fruits by offering green corn to the God of Abraham.

The scripture observance reads: Leviticus 2:14: "And if thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits unto the Lord, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears."

Corn, also known as maize, originated in Mexico by the Mayan Indians through the domestication of the wild grass teosinte. This process began approximately 9,000 to 10,000 years ago in the lowlands of southwestern Mexico.

Modern corn is the result of thousands of years of selective breeding by indigenous farmers.

Today, Green corn can only be found in the Oaxaca region of Mexico. The ancient Oaxacans were the Zapotec and Mixtec Indians, or what the Americas and Europeans would call a "Black" people.

"Green corn" typically refers to Oaxacan green dent corn, an heirloom variety known for its vibrant green kernels, though it can also include other corn varieties with green husks.

This corn is native to Southern Mexico and is popular for making tortillas and tamales. It's also used for animal feed and can be ground into cornmeal.

Oaxacan Green Dent Corn:

Origin: Southern Mexico, specifically Oaxaca.
Characteristics: Produces large ears with dented kernels that can be various shades of yellow, blue, and purple, in addition to green.
Uses: Popular for making tortillas and tamales due to its unique flavor and texture when nixtamalized (treated with an alkaline solution).
Other uses: Can be used as animal feed and ground into green cornmeal.

Green Corn Ceremony:

This is a Native American ceremony celebrating the first green corn harvest.
It involves thanksgiving, fasting, dancing, and religious observances.
The ceremony is a time of renewal and purification, often occurring in late July or August.

Other Contexts:

"Green corn" can also refer to the green husks of sweet corn, or fresh corn on the cob.
In Brazil, "milho verde" refers to what North Americans call sweet corn, even though the kernels are typically yellow.

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