Altar- Grace Grotz

An Ofrenda for Mother Earth: Grace Grotz

In an era of social injustices, the slow death of the environment can be easily overlooked. For my ofrenda, I wanted to create a reminder of humanity’s deeply rooted relationship with the natural world. At the top of the ofrenda, I planted some seeds that are just beginning to grow and I added cut leaves and flowers to demonstrate the balance of life and death. Tree stumps and fishing hooks were added to represent the human-caused destruction of this balance through deforestation, overfishing, etc. Along with other natural materials such as pine cones and shells, I included a pearl necklace and feathers to honor my grandparents. Through honoring their memory, I can remember to have faith in the cyclical pattern of nature and life, and use their strength to heal my own relationship with Mother Earth.