The Three Sisters

Blog Post 3

April 20th, 2015

By: Kendra Boub

       The Cherokee indians focus on what they call "The Three Sisters"; which are corn, beans, and squash. But they ate anything that could be gathered, grown, or hunted. They made the corn into flat breads like tacos and tortillas and they made the beans into soups and stews("Cherokee Food"). Cherokee women did most of the farming, harvesting crops of corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers. Cherokee men did most of the hunting, shooting deer, bear, wild turkeys, and small game. They also fished in the rivers and along the coast using spears and fishing poles. The most praised food in the Cherokee Nation, as I mentioned before, is corn! They were taught how to grow corn from native people in the Southern Appalachians. Corn, maize, or "Selu", even has its own mythology. In Cherokee mythology, Selu was the First Woman and goddess of the corn. Selu was killed by her twin sons, who feared her power; but with her dying instructions she taught them to plant and farm corn, so that her spirit was resurrected with each harvest("Selu"). They would grow a lot and store extra for winter by flouring and drying it. All of the maize plant was used including the husks for crafts and the cob for fuel in fires. 
       Here is a recipe for traditional Cherokee Bean Bread: http://www.cherokee.org/AboutTheNation/Culture/CookBook/BeanBread.aspx

1. "Legendary Native American Figures: Selu." Selu, the Cherokee Corn Mother. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. <http://www.native-languages.org/selu.htm>.
2. "Cherokee Food." Cherokee Food. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. <http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/northamerica/before1500/food/cherokee.htm#!>.