Cultivating the Three Sisters: Haudenosaunee foodways and acculturative change in the fur trade economy

This study examines Haudenosaunee foodways in the Great Lakes Region between the early seventeenth century and the mid to late eighteenth century. The study is divided into two parts. First, the Creation Story is explored as it transmits the origin of the Three Sisters, a cropping system of inter-pl...

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Main Author: Seidel, Jennifer
Other Authors: Cook, Peter
Language:English
en
Published: 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1828/7525
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spelling ndltd-uvic.ca-oai-dspace.library.uvic.ca-1828-75252016-09-29T16:57:25Z Cultivating the Three Sisters: Haudenosaunee foodways and acculturative change in the fur trade economy Seidel, Jennifer Cook, Peter Haudenosaunee Six Nations foodways Food History Squash Sustainability Corn Beans Three Sisters This study examines Haudenosaunee foodways in the Great Lakes Region between the early seventeenth century and the mid to late eighteenth century. The study is divided into two parts. First, the Creation Story is explored as it transmits the origin of the Three Sisters, a cropping system of inter-planted corn, beans and squash. The teachings of the Three Sisters highlights the importance of polyculture and sustainability. Conversely, a Westerners’ scientific account of how the Three Sisters came to be farmed together is studied. The independent pathways of the corn, beans and squash is examined as they arrived in New York State from the Mexico highlands. Recent findings show the Three Sisters were adopted independently in eastern North America beginning around A.D. 1300. They were grown together in some locations on a regular basis. The adoption of the polycultural complex of the Three Sisters was gradual and took place approximately 700 years ago as each of the crops adjusted to the climate and new surroundings. Secondly, the relationship between food, specifically the Three Sisters and acculturative change are examined pre-and-post contact. Acculturative change occurs when two independent cultures comes into contact with one another. The degree of influence is not equal as one culture can be absorbed, shaped or influenced more strongly by the other culture. The Haudenosaunee culture underwent acculturative change because the fur trade economy affected their foodways due to the influx of European goods such as the brass kettle and encroachment on their land and hunting grounds. The Haudenosaunee retained the core of their cultural beliefs and cultural practices because they made decisions, specifically their selection of goods and agricultural practices, as an extension of their cultural beliefs. Acculturative change resulted in a more monocropped and creolized agricultural system, usage of draft animals, fruit orchards and the plow. This study lies at the intersection of ethnohistory and food history. This study will serve as a tool to analyze and understand Haudenosaunee historical experiences from a First Nations cultural perspective.   Graduate 2017-08-21 2016-09-02T23:16:20Z 2016 2016-09-02 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/1828/7525 English en Available to the World Wide Web
collection NDLTD
language English
en
sources NDLTD
topic Haudenosaunee
Six Nations
foodways
Food History
Squash
Sustainability
Corn
Beans
Three Sisters
spellingShingle Haudenosaunee
Six Nations
foodways
Food History
Squash
Sustainability
Corn
Beans
Three Sisters
Seidel, Jennifer
Cultivating the Three Sisters: Haudenosaunee foodways and acculturative change in the fur trade economy
description This study examines Haudenosaunee foodways in the Great Lakes Region between the early seventeenth century and the mid to late eighteenth century. The study is divided into two parts. First, the Creation Story is explored as it transmits the origin of the Three Sisters, a cropping system of inter-planted corn, beans and squash. The teachings of the Three Sisters highlights the importance of polyculture and sustainability. Conversely, a Westerners’ scientific account of how the Three Sisters came to be farmed together is studied. The independent pathways of the corn, beans and squash is examined as they arrived in New York State from the Mexico highlands. Recent findings show the Three Sisters were adopted independently in eastern North America beginning around A.D. 1300. They were grown together in some locations on a regular basis. The adoption of the polycultural complex of the Three Sisters was gradual and took place approximately 700 years ago as each of the crops adjusted to the climate and new surroundings. Secondly, the relationship between food, specifically the Three Sisters and acculturative change are examined pre-and-post contact. Acculturative change occurs when two independent cultures comes into contact with one another. The degree of influence is not equal as one culture can be absorbed, shaped or influenced more strongly by the other culture. The Haudenosaunee culture underwent acculturative change because the fur trade economy affected their foodways due to the influx of European goods such as the brass kettle and encroachment on their land and hunting grounds. The Haudenosaunee retained the core of their cultural beliefs and cultural practices because they made decisions, specifically their selection of goods and agricultural practices, as an extension of their cultural beliefs. Acculturative change resulted in a more monocropped and creolized agricultural system, usage of draft animals, fruit orchards and the plow. This study lies at the intersection of ethnohistory and food history. This study will serve as a tool to analyze and understand Haudenosaunee historical experiences from a First Nations cultural perspective.   === Graduate === 2017-08-21
author2 Cook, Peter
author_facet Cook, Peter
Seidel, Jennifer
author Seidel, Jennifer
author_sort Seidel, Jennifer
title Cultivating the Three Sisters: Haudenosaunee foodways and acculturative change in the fur trade economy
title_short Cultivating the Three Sisters: Haudenosaunee foodways and acculturative change in the fur trade economy
title_full Cultivating the Three Sisters: Haudenosaunee foodways and acculturative change in the fur trade economy
title_fullStr Cultivating the Three Sisters: Haudenosaunee foodways and acculturative change in the fur trade economy
title_full_unstemmed Cultivating the Three Sisters: Haudenosaunee foodways and acculturative change in the fur trade economy
title_sort cultivating the three sisters: haudenosaunee foodways and acculturative change in the fur trade economy
publishDate 2016
url http://hdl.handle.net/1828/7525
work_keys_str_mv AT seideljennifer cultivatingthethreesistershaudenosauneefoodwaysandacculturativechangeinthefurtradeeconomy
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