Why Native American Heritage is Important

Written By Lara Wadsworth

November is known for many things. It is known for its beautiful fall color in many states and for Thanksgiving throughout America. Another thing we celebrate in November is Native American Heritage Month. There are many aspects of Native American and First Nation culture that deserve to be celebrated and passed on. However, one in particular is special to our hearts here at True Leaf Market. Can you guess? If you guess anything along the lines of agriculture, gardening, or new world crops, you are right! The agricultural practices of various Native American tribes have helped shape the world’s crop production. The ancient wisdom contained in this heritage is undeniable. Let’s dive into some specific impacts Native Americans have had on the world of gardening today and how you can improve your garden plan through them.

New World Crops

Once Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas, the race was on. People from all over the world started sailing to find this New World and all it had to offer. This was called the Columbian Exchange. They found many things, and among them were seeds. You can thank Native Americans (North and South America) for vital world crops such as beans, corn (maize), squash, pineapple, potatoes, tomatoes, chile peppers, avocados, and cacao. Various cultures worldwide now rely on these foods for flavor and nutrition. Their journey from Europe to India, Asia, and Africa through Portuguese traders profoundly influenced global spice and nutrition profiles.

The Three Sisters

Along with the various crops that the Americas held, there was wisdom on how to use them. The planting system referred to as the “The Three Sisters” is now world famous for its many qualities. The three crops are corn, beans, and squash. The Native Americans, particularly the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) people, pioneered the companion planting strategy for its nutritious provisions and sustainability. The corn grows tall and provides stability for the beans to climb up. The beans climb up the corn and replace nitrogen in the soil for the nitrogen-hungry corn to use. Lastly, the squash sprawls on the ground to protect the shallow roots of both plants, prevent weeds, and shade the soil from harsh sun. This power trio has proven to be one of the most effective ways to grow these three crops. What is even more interesting is the nutritional benefits of these crops. Corn provides carbohydrates, serving as an energy source, while beans are rich in protein, balancing the diet with essential amino acids. The squash adds vitamins (especially A and C), minerals, and dietary fiber, promoting overall health and aiding digestion.

Chile Peppers

Although we have already discussed the new world crops generally, I feel that chile peppers are worth special mention. Chile peppers are native to North and South America and were first domesticated nearly 6,000 years ago in what is now known as Mexico. Long before the Spaniards arrived, Indigenous Mexican people were consciously and unconsciously selecting the five major types of peppers. Once the New World began to get conquered, chile peppers of various varieties quickly dominated the world. Now, you can find chiles as cornerstones of cultural cuisines from Europe to Asia. You can now find ‘traditional’ peppers all over the world. But they all came from Indigenous Americans! Amazing.

Biodiversity

Another fascinating tenet of agriculture that we can learn from Indigenous Americans is to increase biodiversity. Modern agriculture puts heavy emphasis on monoculture. They say it is easier to grow only one crop at a time in one spot. While it may be easier to use certain pesticides, herbicides, and harvesting equipment, when we’re talking about what’s best for the earth, biodiversity wins out every time. The Three Sisters is one fantastic example of cultivated biodiversity. Each plant plays a role in preserving the others. Increased biodiversity brings increased crop resistance to pests and diseases, improved soil quality, lower fertilizer and pesticide usage, attracts more pollinators, generates higher yields, and more. This doesn’t just apply to large-scale farming. This can apply to smaller farms and gardens as well! Try companion planting! Interplant various vegetables rather than using traditional row farming. Don’t forget to plant some native wildflowers! Crop diversity is essential to the functioning of the earth’s ecosystems, and Native Americans have known it for centuries.

Spiritual Connection

Along with practical wisdom on what crops to plant and how, Indigenous cultures teach us so much about what it means to connect with the earth. They have all this wisdom because they took the time to be in nature, observe the elements, and appreciate wildlife. The Red Road Project puts it perfectly, “Despite each individual Native American Nation being very different in terms of beliefs, language, and culture, there is one thing at the center of most American Indian spiritual belief systems, and that is the basic principle that spirituality draws heavily upon the lands and beings of our sacred grandmother earth.” To many indigenous cultures, there is no real difference between the physical and spiritual worlds.

I have personally experienced this. While I am not of any solid native american descent (although there is some debate within my family tree), I have found some of the most profound moments of spiritual connection within my life to have occurred in nature. Being in nature regularly and giving gratitude to God for the plant and animal life around me is crucial to my personal spiritual practice. No matter what religion you claim to be or not to be, we can all agree that the earth enriches and supports us. In my opinion, that warrants gratitude and reverence.

Pay Tribute

There is much to say concerning the rocky past of white colonization of indigenous American lands. It is an undeniable fact that hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives, and dozens of unique cultures were smothered, all in the name of conquest and land ownership. It is a sobering reality I have to live with every day that my ancestors (American Colonists and Pioneers) were part of the problem. I do not know if I should feel guilt, remorse, or something else for what I know my ancestors played a part in exterminating. The atrocities that were committed were deeply wrong, and I wish I could go back and give these people and their land the respect they deserve. Rather than smothering these cultures, we should have embraced them. My small way of remembering these brave people is by spreading awareness through the written medium and others about Native American and First Nation wisdom and practices. I hope you will also pay tribute by using their knowledge to enrich the land and benefit future generations.

The Indiginouse Perspective

Jaclyn Roessel (Diné) - Founder of the Grown Up Navajo blog

Diné believe and practice principles of K’é, the understanding we are not only related in kinship to each other but through the connections to one another we have a civic responsibility to each other. K’é tells us when one of us is sick we all are sick, when one of us is lacking or unhealthy it impacts us all. We are meant to live in poetic reciprocity with each other and Nahasdzaan Shímá/Mother Earth through ACTIVE HOPE.

Read more about the native perspective of Thanksgiving and the importance of connections from first-hand accounts of Native American and First Nation people featured in A Thanksgiving Message from Seven Amazing Native Americans by Matika Wilbur (Swinomish & Tulalip, Project 562).

Our Gardens

We can take this information to heart and practice it in our gardens. Increasing biodiversity, companion planting, and respecting the land can all improve our little areas of the globe. Whether you decide to grow one more plant this year to increase biodiversity or create a full-fledged Indigenous American garden plan, you can do your part to recognize the importance of Native American heritage in your life. Happy Native American Heritage Month!

Lara Wadsworth, True Leaf Market Writer

I am a native of Southwestern Michigan, where I also reside, and I love all things plants! I got a Bachelor's Degree in Horticulture and found the first work-from-home job I could get. Now, I spend my days writing for TLM, playing with my dog, eating delicious food with my husband, and plotting my next landscape or gardening move. I believe everyone should get down and dirty in the soil now and then. Happy Gardening!