Three crops grown in Pennsylvania by the Native Americans were known as the "Three Sisters." The Eastern Woodland Indians which inhabited Pennsylvania planted squash, corn and beans in the same hill of earth. Corn, beans and squash supplemented and complimented each other. The corn grew tall and supported the tendrils of the bean plants as they grew upward toward the sunshine. The squash plants, which sent shoots with huge leaves across the ground, protected the soil from the drying sunshine and helped the soil beneath to retain moisture so that all three plants would thrive. The nutritious vitamins from each of the plants escaped into the soil so that they each benefited from one another.

The Indians developed a strong cultural and spiritual bond to the land. Agriculture enabled them to produce enough food to establish large villages in Pennsylvania with as many as 1,000 persons living at one site for 10-20 years. Corn, beans and squash were very important crops, while hunting provided most of the protein in their diet. Most of the tribes in Pennsylvania were excellent farmers who grew enough vegetables to support not only themselves, but the first settlers around them through the harsh Pennsylvania winters.

Native Americans tribes throughout the United States followed sustainable practices. Although many different Native Americans adopted this traditional gardening technique, it originated with the "People of the Long House". The Eastern Woodland Indians of Pennsylvania lived in villages of long houses, structures of wooden pole construction covered with bark or animal skins for protection from the elements. Native Americans recognized the value of their natural resources and managed the valuable land, trees and water so they would replenish themselves for future use. "Start with the rising sun, and work toward the setting sun, but take only the mature trees, the sick trees, and the trees that have fallen. When you reach the end, turn and cut from the setting sun to the rising sun, and the trees will last forever."

It is the symbolism of The Three Sisters that runs deep in the hearts of many Native Americans. We, too, understand that we do not stand alone, we support each other, and we can only grow with the assistance of one another.

This Native American tradition is based on the circle of life or the idea that all living things rely on each other for survival. The Three Sisters are a harmonious trio of corn, pole beans and squash planted together to support and thrive off one another.

The traditional Three Sisters garden forms an ecosystem by creating a community of plants. This system creates a beneficial relationship between the three plants-each plant helps the others grow. This is a form of companion planting. Corn, beans and squash complement each other: corn for grain and carbohydrates, beans for protein and squash for vitamin A.

The Three Sisters all work together. Critters will find it harder to invade your garden by interplanting your corn, beans and squash. The corn stalk serves as a pole for the beans, the beans add nitrogen to the soil that the corn needs, and the squash provides a ground cover of shade that helps the soil retain moisture.

Create a mound of soil 1 foot high by 20 inches wide. Flatten the top of the mound for a level planting surface. If you plant more than one mound, the centers of the mounds should be about four feet apart. In the center of each mound, plant five or six corn kernels one inch deep in a small circle. Water the soil well.

When the corn is 6 inches high, plant 6-7 pole bean seeds in a circle, equally spaced, about 6 inches away from the corn. At the edge of the mound about a foot away from the beans, plant seven or eight squash or pumpkin seeds. Be sure to water the entire mound well.

When the plants begin to grow, thin out all but a few of the sturdiest of the corn plants from each mound. Also keep the sturdiest of the bean and squash plants and thin out the weaker ones.

As the corn and beans grow up, make certain that the beans are supported by cornstalks, wrapping around the corn. The squash will crawl out between the mounds.

As the plants mature, the corn will support the beans, the beans will provide nitrogen to the soil and the squash will keep weeds from growing and keep the soil moist for the other plants. Growing plants close together in the style of the three sisters promotes water conservation and helps prevent soil erosion.

The Three Sisters provided the tribe with food all winter long. As part of the circle of life, these New World crops relied upon each other for survival.

TIP: If you'd like to follow tradition even more closely, plant a little extra so that you have enough to share with squirrels, raccoons and crows; this way, you won't need to prevent pesty animals from eating your crops.
TIP: These gardens express the natural world's complexity so expect The Three Sisters to be unruly, despite efforts to control them.

To learn more about traditional Native American methods, visit the Thunder Mountain Lenape Nation Web page at: http://www.questpublish.com/thundermountain/