Historical Indigenous Food Preparation Using Produce of the Three Sisters Intercropping System
Tania M. Ngapo,
Pauline Bilodeau,
Yves Arcand,
Marie Thérèse Charles,
Axel Diederichsen,
Isabelle Germain,
Qiang Liu,
Shawna MacKinnon,
Aimé J. Messiga,
Martin Mondor,
Sébastien Villeneuve,
Noura Ziadi,
Stéphane Gariépy
Affiliations
Tania M. Ngapo
Saint-Hyacinthe Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 3600 Boulevard Casavant Ouest, Saint Hyacinthe, QC J2S 8E3, Canada
Pauline Bilodeau
Sherbrooke Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2000 College Street, Sherbrooke, QC J1M 0C8, Canada
Yves Arcand
Saint-Hyacinthe Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 3600 Boulevard Casavant Ouest, Saint Hyacinthe, QC J2S 8E3, Canada
Marie Thérèse Charles
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 430 Gouin Boulevard, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC J3B 3E6, Canada
Axel Diederichsen
Biological Collections Division, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 107 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0X2, Canada
Isabelle Germain
Saint-Hyacinthe Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 3600 Boulevard Casavant Ouest, Saint Hyacinthe, QC J2S 8E3, Canada
Qiang Liu
Guelph Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 93 Stone Road West, Guelph, ON N1G 5C9, Canada
Shawna MacKinnon
Kentville Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 32 Main Street, Kentville, NS B4N 1J5, Canada
Aimé J. Messiga
Agassiz Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 6947 Highway 7, Agassiz, BC V0M 1A0, Canada
Martin Mondor
Saint-Hyacinthe Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 3600 Boulevard Casavant Ouest, Saint Hyacinthe, QC J2S 8E3, Canada
Sébastien Villeneuve
Saint-Hyacinthe Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 3600 Boulevard Casavant Ouest, Saint Hyacinthe, QC J2S 8E3, Canada
Noura Ziadi
Quebec Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food, Canada, 2560 Hochelaga Boulevard, Quebec City, QC G1V 2J3, Canada
Stéphane Gariépy
Quebec Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food, Canada, 2560 Hochelaga Boulevard, Quebec City, QC G1V 2J3, Canada
For centuries, some Indigenous Peoples of the Americas have planted corn, beans and squash or pumpkins together in mounds, in an intercropping complex known as the Three Sisters. Agriculturally, nutritionally and culturally, these three crops are complementary. This literature review aims to compile historical foods prepared from the products of the Three Sisters planting system used in Indigenous communities in the region encompassing southern Quebec and Ontario in Canada, and northeastern USA. The review does not discuss cultural aspects of the Three Sisters cropping system or describe foods specific to any one Indigenous group, but rather, gives an overview of the historical foods stemming from this intercropping system, many foods of which are common or similar from one group to another. Some of the methods of food preparation used have continued over generations, some of the historical foods prepared are the foundation for foods we eat today, and some of both the methods and foods are finding revival.
