This week we are celebrating the Three Sisters.
For those of you who don't know, the Three Sisters are beans, corn and squash. This is a famous Native American Tradition that recognized the harmony in growing these three vegetables together. They tell a beautiful story that does vary from tribe to tribe. The version of the story that I am sharing with you is perhaps one of the older versions of this traditional tale is an oral accounting from Cornwall Island. As recorded by Lois Thomas it unfolds like this:
The Three Sisters
A long time ago there were three sisters who lived together in a field.
These sisters were quite different from one another in their size and way of dressing.
The little sister was so young that she could only crawl at first, and she was dressed in green.
The second sister wore a bright yellow dress, and she had a way of running off by herself when
the sun shone and the soft wind blew in her face.
The third was the eldest sister, standing always very straight and tall above the other sisters and
trying to protect them. She wore a pale green shawl, and she had long, yellow hair that tossed
about her head in the breeze.
There was one way the sisters were all alike, though. They loved each other dearly, and they
always stayed together. This made them very strong.
One day a stranger came to the field of the Three Sisters - a Mohawk boy. He talked to the birds
and other animals - this caught the attention of the three sisters.
Late that summer, the youngest and smallest sister disappeared. Her sisters were sad.
Again the Mohawk boy came to the field to gather reeds at the water's edge. The two sisters
who were left watched his moccasin trail, and that night the second sister - the one in the yellow
dress - disappeared as well.
Now the Elder Sister was the only one left.
She continued to stand tall in her field. When the Mohawk boy saw that she missed her sisters,
he brought them all back together and they became stronger together, again.
I am very fond of this tale as it does remind us of much of the harmony not just between ourselves and what comes from the field, but that which calls the field home. I think this year is extra special because it was all of us working together that brought in the squash before the frost so we can all enjoy it :-) I am very grateful to all of you for that.
Along with the Green beans, Butternut squash and sweet corn there is tomatoes, yellow and red onions, beets, a nice crisp post frost sweet kale, arugula and kohlrabi to enjoy.
My favorite time of year!
~Michael
