Passage III

The Three Sisters

The following paragraphs may or may not be in the most logical order. Each paragraph is numbered in brackets, and question 45 will ask you to choose where Paragraph 1 should most logically be placed.

[1]

Three plants together known collectively as the "Three Sisters" have long been an important source of sustenance for many Native American nations. Being experienced and effective horticulturists, it was indigenous peoples who knew that planting corn, beans, and squash together made good nutritional and agricultural sense.

[2]

The technique is ingenious. Several kernels of corn are planted in a circle in a hill of soil. (34) When the corn is about six inches high, pole bean and squash seeds are planted around the young stalks. As the three plants grow, the corn stalks support the bean tendrils, while the beans fix nitrogen in the soil, which fertilizes the corm. The broad leaves of the squash plants provide shade for the other two plants' root systems and help retain soil moisture while discouraging weed growth.

[3]

Eaten together, the three foods provide balanced nutrition. Com, in particular, is high in carbohydrates. Although com and beans are both good sources of protein, each food provides two essential amino acids that the other lacks. Squash yields both vitamins from the fruit and healthful, delicious oil from the seeds is yielded also.

[4]

Equally and equivalently important is the moral lesson that the Three Sisters impart. (39) Many Native peoples see the three plants as a model of cooperation and harmony, each plant benefiting from their growth. What the early horticulturists knew, the three grow best when they grow together. Many tribes have legends of three intertwined sisters who can never be parted, siblings who live together, eat together, and celebrate together. At harvesttime, ceremonies are held to thank the sisters for growing abundantly and feeding the people.

[5]

(44) And as sustainable agriculture becomes more widely recognized as a necessity, the Three Sisters provide one example of how food can be grown with very little strain on natural resources—an ecosystem of plants that thrive when they are grown together.