The Three Sisters

The Haudenosaunee are a powerful agricultural community that works closely with corn, beans, and squash. These crops together are known as the “Three Sisters”. It is known that, “these life supporting plants were given to the people when all three miraculously sprouted from the body of the Sky Woman’s daughter, granting the gift of agriculture to the Iroquois” (Carnegie). The Haudenosaunee sustain themselves off of these three crops that are planted and maintained by the women in the community. They start by planting corn and return once there are sprouts to gather soil around the plants, creating a very small hill. After this, “the women returned to plant bean seeds … the beans contributed nitrogen to the soil, and the cornstalks served as bean poles. Between the rows, the farmers cultivated a low-growing crop such as squash or pumpkins” (Carnegie). The beans help contribute nitrogen into the soil and the squash allowed there to be ground cover that kept in moisture (Carnegie). 

The Haudenosaunee Confederacy is a great resource for more information on the Three Sisters.