Unless you’re a historian, teacher or a student taking American Literature, it’s likely been a while since you’ve read William Bradford’s “Of Plymouth Plantation,” the foundational account of the Pilgrims’ journey to North America. This is the source of the famous story of Squanto helping the Pilgrims, a tale often dramatized in elementary schools with construction paper hats around Thanksgiving.
In the passage titled “Of their voyage ... and their safe landing at Cape Cod,” Bradford describes the Pilgrims’ arrival. After their long voyage, they were met with an inhospitable landscape: no welcoming friends, no inns or homes, and no towns to provide respite. Bradford draws on biblical imagery, likening their plight to the Apostle Paul’s shipwreck on the island of Malta, where he was offered food and shelter. However, Bradford’s depiction of the Native Americans they would soon encounter was less generous. He referred to them as “barbarians,” a foreshadowing of the cultural clash that would unfold.
When the Pilgrims first met the Native Americans, Bradford describes them fleeing into the woods. The Englishmen chased them along the beach but eventually stopped when the shrubs and thorns tore at their clothes and armor. Exploring the area, the Pilgrims found clearings where corn had been planted and discovered burial sites. They also came across a recently abandoned home and a large kettle. Digging into freshly disturbed sand, they uncovered baskets of colorful corn — varieties unfamiliar to the English. They took some of the corn and buried the rest, with plans to repay the Natives later. It wouldn’t be the last time they pilfered from the Native people’s harvest.
One wonders how the Native Americans might have documented this encounter. Their perspective might tell of strange, armored men chasing them down the beach. Warned of the invaders, families buried their food stores in shallow holes. That night, they crept back to find their harvest stolen.
Why had these newcomers arrived just before winter and taken their food? And how would the tribe feed their children with stores pillaged by the strange visitors?
The Pilgrims’ discovery of corn marked the beginning of their reliance on Native agricultural knowledge. While the account notes corn and beans, it omits another crucial crop that later helped Europeans survive in North America: squash. Squash is the third of element of the “Three Sisters,” the interdependent crops of corn, beans, and squash that sustained many Native communities through harsh winters.
Robin Wall Kimmerer, a Potawatomi scientist and author of “Braiding Sweetgrass,” recounts her tribe’s version of the Three Sisters story. In this tale, three beautiful women — one dressed in yellow with flowing hair, another in green, and the third in orange — visit a village during a long, cold winter. Despite their scarcity, the people share their fire and food. In gratitude, the women reveal their true identities as Corn, Beans and Squash, leaving behind seeds that the people plant together in spring.
The Three Sisters represent more than nourishment; they embody cooperation and sustainability. Corn provides a sturdy stalk for beans to climb, while beans enrich the soil with nitrogen, a vital nutrient for corn. Squash, with its broad leaves, shades the ground, preventing weeds and retaining moisture. Together, they create a thriving ecosystem that supports both plant and human life.
Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley, hosts of the food culture podcast Gastropod, describe squash as the “perfect companion” to corn and beans. Beyond their agricultural synergy, the Three Sisters offer nutritional balance: corn and beans together provide essential amino acids, while squash adds vitamins and natural sweetness.
The colorful corn the Pilgrims found differed significantly from the sweet corn popular today. Native corn varieties, like flint and dent corn, were versatile. Flint corn, with its hard outer shell, could be ground into masa or polenta, while dent corn was used for elote or dried for livestock feed. Flour corn, another staple, could be nixtamalized for tortillas or roasted and steamed.
Co-planting the Three Sisters requires careful planning. Because corn is wind-pollinated, it should be planted in clusters rather than rows. Experienced gardeners recommend creating mounds spaced three to four feet apart. Each mound begins with soaked corn seeds planted about six inches apart. Once the corn grows to six inches tall, pole beans are planted around the stalks, followed by squash at the edges of the mound.
This traditional ecological knowledge, passed down through generations, reflects a deep understanding of the land and its resources.
Another version of the Three Sisters story, shared by Plains tribes, describes the youngest sister, Squash, as a crawling figure dressed in green. Her elder sisters, Corn and Beans, stand tall and run freely. The sisters’ bond is tested when they encounter a boy with a gift for speaking to animals. Eventually, they reunite, symbolizing the interdependence of the crops they represent.
The story not only teaches agricultural principles but also conveys values of unity and resilience.
Today, schoolchildren still learn about Squanto, make turkey decorations and eat pumpkin pie, but the deeper context of Native wisdom and resilience remains underexplored. Weaving a robust understanding of indigenous agricultural practices and cultural stories into our history, we can honor the full history behind the Thanksgiving table.
Here’s to serving up the whole story — context, literature and ecological wisdom included.
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