Native Americans Power of the three sisters How i

The husks were also used for baskets and other tools. Sister one: CORN Known as maize to the Native Americans, corn is the most versatile of the three sisters. It was commonly dried and cooked over a fire (making popcorn) or ground up into corn meal. The husks were also used for baskets and other tools.

Sister two: Beans Beans were mostly eaten raw or cooked simply, like boiled in water for a few minutes. Often they would be ground down to make a thick paste and eaten on maize tortillas.

One of the oldest foods eaten by the Native Americans. Sister three: Squash One of the oldest foods eaten by the Native Americans. Mature squash were often baked whole in the coals of a fire, or sliced and boiled. Strips of squash were laid in the sun to dry and then stored for use in winter. Dried strips were rejuvenated in winter months by a quick soaking or boiling.

How it works Beans grow up the corn stalks and give nutrients such as Nitrogen to the corn from the soil. Corn acts like a pole for the beans, giving them stability to mature. Squash is planted in between the corn and beans to help keep weeds out. Without this method, farming would have been much harder for the Native Americans to maintain.