World Ark Magazine - May/June 2008 - (Page 37)

the Three Sisters Like the three sisters, it works best if everyone works together. The Iroquois revered squash, corn and beans as nature’s life-sustaining gifts, which are known as the “Three Sisters.” Native American legend tells of the spirits of the Three Sisters safeguarding and blessing the harvests of these three crops. The sisters are said to be inseparable, a blessing to be planted, eaten and celebrated together. The Oneida Indian Nation Health Department began the “Three Sisters Nutrition Project” to improve the health of Native Americans living in central New York. Find recipes from the Three Sisters Cookbook at www.oneida-nation.net/ cookbook. The companion planting of corn, beans and squash offers unique benefits to novice and expert gardeners. These crops optimize growing conditions for one another. It now grows 37 varieties of apples and offers a successful pick-your-own operation. The orchard also offers customers a popular long-term payment plan. Cornelius is working to add buffalo meat, leaner and healthier than beef, to local school menus. Many of her products are now sold at Woodman’s, a statewide chain store. In the beginning, people around the Oneida communit y had their doubt s about the project’s viability. “People are afraid the land is polluted,” said Cross-laughing, who lives near the Canadian border. “Also, farming isn’t that lucrative, and there are better ways to make money, like working at the cigarette factory.” Perhaps the steepest obstacle is helping people understand the value of ancestral knowledge. “The biggest issue,” General said, “is recognizing that our way of life is beneficial to us.” Much of what Heifer, Smith and others are working toward is forging connections among the communities interested in re-establishing traditional food systems. The work can be difficult. “We honestly don’t have the communities we used to have and the connections we used to have,” Crosslaughing said. Still, the work is helping to strengthen and heal communities scarred by the loss of traditional food systems and knowledge. It is, in a way, a form of cultivation. like the Three Sisters, it works best if everyone works together. “All we have to do is look at the plants,” General said. “They can teach us about inclusion, support and helping each other grow. They can help us learn how to be a family.” CORN provides sturdy stalks and supports the growing pole beans. BEANS make the soil rich in nitrogen, which corn plants need to thrive. SqUASH leaves surround the ground around the corn and bean plants, keeping the soil moist. The squash’s prickly stems ward off hungry animals looking for a tasty meal. www.heifer.org WOrlD Ark 37 http://www.oneida-nation.net/cookbook http://www.oneida-nation.net/cookbook http://www.heifer.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of World Ark Magazine - May/June 2008

World Ark Magazine - May/June 2008 Contents Letters For the Record The Good Life Asked & Answered Why Water Matters The Carbon Hoofprint From Farm to Table Healing History Mixed Media Heifer Spirit Heifer Bulletin World Ark Market Calendar First Person

World Ark Magazine - May/June 2008

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