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Many indigenous people of the Americas planted some version of corn (maize), beans, and squash as their staple crops in a type of agriculture known as companion planting. They often planted the corn in the center of a raised mound, with beans using the corn stalk as a bean pole for support, and the broad leaves of the squash plants providing ground cover to retain moisture during the dry season and prevent weeds during wetter weather. The roots of the beans also fixed nitrogen in the soil, which helped the other plants grow.

Although corn, beans, and squash were grown in many Native American cultures, the term "Three Sisters" originated with the Haudenosaunee, also known as the Iroquois. In the Haudenosaunee story of Creation, the Three Sisters grew on Turtle Island and were considered the sustainers.

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12y ago

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