Removal Act Food sovereignty Archives

Returning the ‘three sisters’ – corn, beans and squash – to Native American farms nourishes people, land and cultures

The ‘three sisters’ are staple foods for many Native American tribes. Marilyn Angel Wynn/Getty Images Christina Gish Hill, Iowa State University Historians know that turkey and corn were part of the first Thanksgiving, when Wampanoag peoples shared a harvest meal with the pilgrims of Plymouth plantation in Massachusetts. And traditional Native American farming practices tell us that squash and beans …