The Legend of the 3 Sister and Recipe for Soup.

A long long time ago, there was a village who wasted everything. When
the crops came in the villagers would eat their fill and throw the
rest into the gargbage pit. Nothing was put up or dried for later
use. One day the village Chief called his best warrior to him. He
told the warrior that the village was starving. They wasted all the
fresh crops. The animals had eaten the wasted food in the garbage pit
and moved on. There was nothing to be eaten. He told the warrior to
go on a journey to find food for the village but to act quickly or
the villagers would surely starve to death. The warrior left. The
first day he found nothing. Not even a mouse. The second day, still
nothing. On the third day just as he walked over the crest of a hill,
he saw smoke and a small cabin. He thought surely the people in the
cabin would tell him where to find food. He went up to the cabin and
yelled a greeting. An old, deep voice answered him back telling him
to enter. As he entered, he saw a very old man smoking his pipe by
the fire. The old man greeted him and told him to sit. The old man
called into another room for food and drink to be given to the weary
guest. After dinner, the old man offered his pipe to the warrior. The
warrior started to tell the old man of the trouble in his village but
the old man said wait until morning. The warrior slept well that
night. First light of the next day, the warrior woke up to the
wonderful smell of salapan and sapon ( corn meal mush and frybread).
He was served by 3 of the most beautiful little girls that he had
ever seen. Triplets I think. The old man spoke of being very old and
soon to pass over to the next world. He ask the warrior to promise to
raise his 3 daughters as his own. The warrior thought a minute then
promised to take the 3 daughters home with him as his daughters. He
did not have the heart to tell the old man of the village troubles
then. It had been 4 days since he left. He and his new family started
back to the village. All the way back the warrior was hopeing for
some game or something to take back so the villagers would hunger no
more. On the first day back, the warrior saw a deer. He pulled his
bow and aimed. All of a sudden 2 fawns bounded out of the bushes. He
lowered his bow and said, I cannot take this deer who has little ones
to feed and care for. On the second day back, he saw a bear near a
tree. Bear would be very good to take back he thought. As he pulled
his bow and sighted the bear, he heard a noise high up in the tree
that the bear was under. Looking up he saw 2 cubs playing in the
branches. He lowered his bow. I cannot take a mother bear from her
cubs he said. On the third day back and almost to the village his
heart was heavy with what was he to say to the villagers and the
chief. And to add to his trouble, he was bringing back 3 more mouths
to feed. Or starve. When the warrior and his new family approached
the village, the scouts gave a call and all turned out to see what
the warrior brought back from his journey. Empty handed the warrior
approached the village chief and told him there was no food to be
found. He also told the story of the strange old man and his 3 new
daughters. The chief said even though we have nothing to feast on, we
will have a celebration tonight to welcome our 3 new villagers. That
night, before a blazing fire the 3 little girls ask the chief if they
may honor him with a dance. The chief was pleased. As the first girl
danced in the circle, corn fell from the folds of her dress. Lots of
corn. The second girl danced and beans fell from the folds of her
dress. Lots of beans. The third girl dance and squashes of many kinds
fell from the folds in her dress. When the dancing was done, there
was and abundance of food in the circle where the girls danced. The 3
girls explained that they were the spirits of the 3 sisters, corn,
squash and beans. Since the warrior was so honorable as to take the
girls as his own, these gifts were given to the village to help them
survive. They were to promise never to waste the gifts given and
every spring the gardens were to be planted with the 3 sister
together. This is why we honor the 3 sisters and plant them together.


Natives everywhere seem to depend on 3 major crops for survival. They
are the 3 sisters corn, beans and squash. Traditionally these 3 crops
were planted together in the spring. A mound was made and a piece of
fish implanted into it for fertilizer ( I still plant this way.)
holes are poked into the top of the mound and several kernels of corn
are dropped into the holes. This was left to grow for 2 to 3 weeks.
Or until the corn reached the height of 1 to 1/2 feet. Beans and
squash were planted in the same mound. The beans would climb the
cornstalks as they both grew. The squash has large leaves which shade
the ground keeping the moisture in and weeds out. (some weeding still
has to be done) Three crops in a space of about a foot in
diameter.


3 sisters soup...1 cup beans (any dried varity ) 1 cup
dried sweet corn ( do your own it is cheaper) 1 cup dried squash or
pumpkin ...2 tbs barley, a small handful of dried onion, a tbs of
garlic powder. 1
to 1/2 cups dried beef chunks (to taste). Any other dried veggies you
may have around like green beans, tomatoes etc. DO NOT add salt but
pepper is ok. Salt makes the skins on the beans tough. Add water to
cover about 2 inches over dried mixture. Cook a good long time at
least 2 hours. If you need to add water, Add hot water as the beans
will remain hard if you add cold. This is good to take camping as
you would be carrying dried ingredients and just adding water when
ready to cook. This also holds up very well to cooking all day over
an open fire. Add salt at the table. Serve with hot frybread.

by James Running Turtle
(Indian-Outlaw)