The process of indigo dyeing in Yorubaland was developed by Iya Mapo and passed through many centuries of West African women promoting enrichment, status, and empowerment in their communities. In the drawing below, Iya Mapo holds the branch of an Elu bush whose leaves are crushed to make the indigo dye. As part of the spiritual ritual, a sacred bird dips its tail into the indigo pot and is anointed with the divine pigment. Deities of water and air contribute to the successful cultivation.

Unnamed and unacknowledged enslaved descendants of Iya Mapo aided in the creation of the wealth and prosperity of indigo plantations in Colonial America.

Traditionally, the indigo dye pot is treated as a living and breathing entity with a heart and soul and nurtured as a child.