Subsistence and Biocultural Adaptation

Anthropology of Food ANTH 2301 Subsistence and Biocultural Adaptation The most frequent crops cultivated by subsistence farmers are legumes (several varieties of beans) and cereals (corn, wheat, barley and rice), which are both affordable, adaptable and healthful in many ways. They also offer a significant amount of calories, along with fibre, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Put another way, cereals offer long-term health advantages and are a smart labour investment. Indigenous peoples have long recognised the potential of these foods, all throughout the world. Native Americans in North and Central America had been carefully domesticating plants for thousands of years by the time European settlers arrived in the Americas. The Indigenous peoples of the Americas had spent many generations gaining a thorough knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of certain plants for health, as well as how to combine different plants to increase yields. One ancient cropping technique known as the "Three Sisters" produces particular plants next to one another, generally a mix of corn, beans and squash, such that one promotes and encourages the growth of the others. Intercropping is the practice of arranging various plant species in a way that promotes each species' growth. Indigenous cultures across North and Central America employ versions of the Three Sisters, but the Haudenosaunee have had their use extensively researched. Using maize, beans, and pumpkins—a type of squash—the Haudenosaunee people (sometimes called the Iroquois or Six Nations) of what is now northern New York State engaged in Three Sisters farming. In an area that had not been ploughed, tiny mounds containing seeds from each of these crops were sown. There were numerous maize seeds in the centre of each mound, surrounded by bean and pumpkin seeds. (Observe how this differs from the row-based farming now employed on traditional American farms.) Every plant in the mound provides a service to the others. With their big leaves, the robust pumpkin vines soon create a canopy that keeps the soil moist, keeps weeds out, and stops erosion. By fixing nitrogen in the soil with the aid of microbes, bean plants enable the surrounding plants to use it as fertiliser. Furthermore, the climbing beans have trellises thanks to the fast-growing maize plants, which need a lot of nitrogen for optimal growth (Gish Hill 2020). The Haudenosaunee people planted these crops together because, according to archaeologist and Iroquois historian Arthur Parker (cited in Mt. Pleasant 2016, 88), they were "guarded by three inseparable spirits and would not thrive apart." Parker made this observation in a 1910 study of Haudenosaunee culture. According to the Haudenosaunee belief system, these three harvests were gifts from the gods to the populace. Every time a meal was consumed, the people were reminded of their cultural past by the bodily and spiritual sustenance it offered (Carnegie Museum of Natural History 2018). While these staples were the basis of their meals, the Haudenosaunee augmented the variety of their dishes by means of hunting for wild plants and animals throughout specific seasons. Horticulturist and expert in Indigenous farming systems Jane Mt. Pleasant (2016) has investigated the calorie yield (the total number of calories obtained from the harvest) of crops grown with the Three Sisters method. She has discovered that the three crops produce up to four times as much protein and total calories when planted together as they would if the plants were grown separately. When mixed with the other sisters, maize plants in particular exhibit a notable increase in protein (92). Concerned about the environmental consequences of traditional farming, more and more individuals are beginning to respect sustainable agricultural methods. Many of the methods used in sustainable farming are based on ancient methods and can help increase food yields, lower fertiliser costs, improve soil quality, and steer clear of genetically modified plants— plants whose DNA has been purposefully changed in a lab. Presently, Iowa State University funds the Three Sisters gardening initiative, which collaborates with Native American communities to spread knowledge of the methods, health advantages, and cultural significance of traditional intercropping practices. The initiative makes a point of using heritage seed types, which are defined as non-GMO seeds that have been open-pollinated for at least 50 years, are not genetically engineered, and may be kept for generations to come. Returning the seeds to their native populations is one of their objectives (Gish Hill 2020). Heirloom seeds have a lot going for them: they taste better, are more adapted to the local environment, may be saved for use in future years, and have more genetic variety, which promotes long-term sustainability. Globally, there is a growing desire in trying out new foods and cuisines. The past of many of these rediscovered dishes is found in Indigenous cultures. Both Western and non-Western peoples are increasingly attempting to restore culinary history via the use of oral tradition, historical documentation, and even genetic analyses: many Indigenous people are currently on a road of rediscovery, preservation, and reinvention of these basic meals. As a result of forced exile, cultural persecution, and genocide, the Three Sisters have lost decades' worth of culinary knowledge. However, these days, they are regaining it. Through their attempts to survive, produce, and cook with the Three Sisters, many tribes have experienced improved health and strengthened spiritual ties. Murphy (2018)