Many Native nations were skilled farmers. Three plants grew so well together that the Haudenosaunee call them the Three Sisters.
Key idea
The Three Sisters are corn, beans and squash, planted together in one field. Each one helps the others.
Why it works
The corn grows tall and straight, like a pole. The beans climb up the corn stalk and help feed the soil. The squash spreads big leaves over the ground, which shade the soil, keep it wet and keep weeds away. Working together, the three plants grow better than they would alone, and together they make a healthy meal.
Common mistake
Some children think Native peoples only hunted. Many nations were farmers. Corn, potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkins and peppers were all first grown in the Americas. Today people all over the world eat them.
For the grown-up: At your next meal, look for foods first grown in the Americas: corn, potatoes, tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, peppers, many kinds of beans, and the cacao beans that make chocolate.