Three Sisters

NC50

Gerald Dawavendewa (Hopi & Cherokee)

Known as the Three Sisters, these crops are grown together to benefit each other. Beans planted at the base of the corn stalk support their vines as they rise upward to the sun. Squash plants grow close to the ground, protecting soil with broad, spiny leaves. Together, these plants thrive and provide a balanced food source to the people. Three spirits symbolizing Beans, Corn, and Squash stand behind the plants. Bean Maiden wraps herself in a blanket bearing water symbols. A bundle of bean sprouts sits at her feet. These sprouts are part of a Hopi ceremony celebrating the return of spring. Corn Maiden carries plant seed elements upon her blanket and holds ears of corn colored in the four cardinal directions. Squash Maiden's blanket contains flower imagery, the promise of a new life. The three maidens stand on the earth rich in seeds, frogs, and other life, waiting for the return of life-giving rains. Butterflies formed like flowers among the maidens, symbolizing the promise of coming rains.