USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -There were a number of Mississippian cultures, with most spreading from the Middle Mississippian area. Although hunting and gathering plants for food was still important, the Mississippians were mainly farmers. They grew corn, beans, and squash, called the “three sisters” by historic Southeastern Indians.

Detailed explanation-2: -The earliest Native Americans to cultivate corn were the Pueblo people of the American southwest, whose culture was transformed by the arrival of corn in 1, 200 B.C. By A.D. 1, 000, corn was a staple crop that sustained tribes like the Creek, Cherokee and Iroquois.

Detailed explanation-3: -Indigenous peoples throughout North America cultivated different varieties of the Three Sisters, adapted to varying local environments. The individual crops and their use in polyculture originated in Mesoamerica; where squash was domesticated first, followed by maize and then beans, over a period of 5, 000–6, 500 years.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Iroquois and the Cherokee called corn, bean, and squash “the three sisters” because they nurture each other like family when planted together. These agriculturalists placed corn in small hills planting beans around them and interspersing squash throughout of the field.

Detailed explanation-5: -Three types of beans were planted: Cherokee Trail of Tears, Hidatsa Shield, and True Red Cranberry. These beans grew along with the corn, helping to maintain a good root system and preventing the rows from rain washout.