Seed Sisters

Many who visit UM’s PEAS Farm know about the greenhouses, pumpkin patch, and flower fields that grow around the property, but there is another garden that has been growing for the last three seasons: The Four Sisters Garden. Although many students visit the farm each year, the Four Sisters Garden is a spot that tends to be skipped over on tours. This traditional Garden grows squash, beans, corn, and sunflowers, and is grown in the arrangement of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara (MHA) peoples from North Dakota. Through conversations with the caretakers of the Four Sisters Garden, I found out that the seeds planted in the garden are all commercialized seeds. Understanding seed sovereignty is a major piece of steps towards tribal food sovereignty. For the MHA, gardens are a place where many traditional skills were developed and applied to everyday life. For example, in Buffalo Bird Woman’s Garden, Buffalo Bird Woman describes skills in agriculture, architecture, construction, storage, crafts, and cooking. The Four Sisters Garden provides access to these culturally relevant foods and practices. The purpose of this project, Seed Sisters, is to share the history and importance of the Four Sisters Garden with the community. The culmination of my project will create a zine that lives at the farm and online for the public to read when they visit. This zine will be a digestible, creative, and informative resource that can be used to share about the Four Sisters Garden.