Three Sisters Garden

Bear Island Flint Corn

Can grow 8+ feet tall, has strong stalks with about two ears of corn per stalk. Ears are long, with multicolored kernels (burgundy, orange, white, marbled). Can be used for hominy or ground into cornmeal/flour.

These seeds were received from Shiloh Maples, who has been stewarding this corn since 2021 when it was given to her by Rosebud Bear Schneider from Ziibimijwan Farm (Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa); they received some of this seed via the Indigenous Collaborative Garden at the University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens.

Anishinaabe term for corn: mandaamin

Odawa Bean

This half-runner type bean has been stewarded in Michigan's northwest lower peninsula for generations. The bean is white with an ochre-yellow spot with darker flecks, and can be eaten as a dry bean.

These seeds were received from Shiloh Maples. Shiloh has been stewarding this bean since about 2016, when it was given to her by a fellow Odawa community member.

Anishinaabe term for bean: miskojiisimin

Gete-okosomaan Squash

The name of the squash translates literally as "big old squash." Gete-okosomaan is a type of winter squash that can grow up to 30 pounds.

These seeds were received from Shiloh Maples. Shiloh has been stewarding this bean since about 2016, when it was given to her by a Detroit community. Shiloh was told that the seeds originated with the Miami Nation.

Anishinaabe term for squash: okosimaan

What is a Three Sisters Garden?

Companion planting, which is the process of growing plants together that enhance each other's growth or protect each other from pests, has been utilized by Indigenous people for centuries. Per the Burt Lake Band of Ottowa and Chippewa Indians, "the Anishinaabe people have a rich agricultural tradition that includes the cultivation of the Three Sisters garden we call Miijinimaaganag. For the Ojibwe, this traditional planting method is not just a means of sustenance but also a deeply spiritual practice that honors their connection to the land and their ancestors. The Three Sisters—corn, beans, and squash—are revered as gifts from the Creator" and are more-than-human relations that help sustain life. "The corn represents the eldest sister, providing a sturdy stalk for the beans to climb, while the beans, the middle sister, enrich the soil with nitrogen through their root systems. Lastly, the squash, the youngest sister, spreads its vines along the ground, offering protection from weeds and retaining moisture. Together, these crops not only nourish the body but also embody the interconnectedness and balance that the Ojibwe people strive to maintain with the natural world." There are many legends surrounding the Three Sisters throughout Native American culture.

A Community Effort

The three sisters garden was designed by the OU Native American Student Organization (NASO) under the guidance of Anishinaabe seed keeper Shiloh Maples. The first seeds in the garden, our corn sisters, were planted on June 3, 2024, by a community of volunteers along with NASO members (pictured left).

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