Description
Among the Iroquois, it is believed that when the First Mother died, from her body grew the sacred plants: corn, beans and squash. They were planted together in small hills: the beans would twine around the corn stalks as they grew and the squash leaves would shade the earth and keep it moist and free of weeds. Protective spirits, the Sacred Sisters, sometimes glimpsed as they rustled among the corn or shook the stems of the squash or pumpkin, blessed the crops. The families of the Iroquois were protected by their clan spirits, among them, Wolf, Bear, Turtle, Hawk, Heron, Snipe, Eel, Deer and Beaver. All were nourished and sustained by the Three Sisters.
“the natural life teaches us to live in harmony with one another”
-traditional teachings of the Iroquois
