#haudenosaunee — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #haudenosaunee, aggregated by home.social.
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10 #IndigenousGardening Techniques Still Used Today
By: Robin Sweetser, May 3, 2026
"As gardeners, we are connected to all people who have come before us, caring for the earth and learning how to best grow crops. Ready for the best gardening techniques? Let’s have a look at some age-old gardening wisdom that’s still relevant today.
A Long History of #Gardening
#Gourds, #beans, and #peppers were being cultivated in #Mexico by 5500 BC, and by 5000 BC, #maize was being grown in #Mesoamerica, and #potatoes in #SouthAmerica. The success or failure of these crops had a major impact on people’s survival. It was critical not only that the land provided sustenance but that it sustained them year after year, which required knowledge of #sustainable growing techniques to preserve the land for future generations.
We hear buzzwords like 'sustainable' or 'permaculture' and 'organic' today. But these techniques were here long before we started talking about 'going green.' Perhaps your grandparents also knew some of the older, gentler ways. Many are simply intuitive and based on fostering a closer relationship with nature and the land. If you don’t already, you might want to think about integrating some of these techniques into your own landscape.
Many of the following practices are often viewed as 'new' to the gardening world, but they’ve been around for a long, long time. They have all been traditionally used by #NativeAmerican peoples, but that is not to say that all of these techniques were used by all Native American cultures. Just like separate countries, #Indigenous cultures vary widely in their gardening philosophies and techniques. Below are just a few #sustainable, Earth-conscious ways to grow a better garden.
These practices originate from diverse Indigenous nations across North and South America, including the #Haudenosaunee (#Iroquois), #Hopi, #Wampanoag, and many others. Agricultural traditions varied widely by climate, geography, and culture.
Companion Planting (the #ThreeSisters Method)
Time-honored gardening wisdom says that certain plants, when grown together, improve each other’s health and yields. For instance, some plants attract beneficial insects that help to protect a companion, while other plants (particularly herbs) act as repellents.
A commonly cited example is the Three Sisters Garden, which has been traditionally practiced by the Wampanoag people of what is now the northeastern United States. A prime demonstration of companion planting at its best, corn provides support for pole beans to climb, the beans add nitrogen to the soil for future crops to use, and squash leaves shade the soil around the taller plants, like a living mulch. Squash’s prickly leaves also deter marauding animal pests. Some would add a fourth sister—a flowering plant such as #sunflowers—to draw in #pollinators.
#Intercropping or #polyculture of plants that have mutual benefits (aka companion planting) mimics the way different species grow together in nature. #Monoculture, on the other hand, leads to the exhaustion of soil nutrients. Indigenous people also discovered that plant diversity meant diet diversity. If one crop should fail, the others could fill that void.
Try 'intercropping' in your vegetable garden. Sneak small crops in between bigger ones; the small crops will be ready before the big ones need the space.
#Terracing for #SoilConservation
Terracing creates flat planting beds in hilly terrain. Taming the steep slopes slows runoff, allowing water to seep into the beds and curb erosion.
Creating terraces in which to garden is an especially good way to garden where rain is seasonal, sporadic, and often comes in heavy downpours. In the southwestern U.S., for example, terracing was key to the agricultural success of the Anasazi and their descendants, the #Hopi, who still use terraced gardens today. This can be seen in the village of #HotevillaBacavi, in northern Arizona, where traditional #TerracedGardens were restored in the 1990s.
If you wish to garden sustainably on sloped land for years to come, the use of terracing is essential in avoiding soil erosion that carries your precious topsoil away.
There are different types of #terracing. If you have a slope, consider using some rocks or retaining walls to create a series of flattened areas, mitigating runoff. Ancient terraces are seen all over the steep terrain in #Greece, too.
Traditional Irrigation Methods
Thousands of years ago, the Anasazi people inhabited what is now the Four Corners region of the U.S., an area known for its low annual rainfall. They traditionally built catchments, check dams (dams made of rock that held onto soil but allowed water to pass through), and reservoirs to collect the infrequent stormwater. The Hopi people of northern Arizona also use these age-old techniques to irrigate their gardens in this arid landscape, although modern technology has allowed for expanded #WaterConservation efforts.
If you live in a dry area, storing water in ponds, cisterns, or even a #RainBarrel is a wise idea, as the reserved water can be used for irrigation as needed.
Conversely, in areas with floods, people learned how to use what could be destructive as a way to boost productivity. For example, one technique was to create shallow depressions so that when the floodwaters rose, the water could be stored. Another technique was to use #canals near rivers to divert water to nearby farmland."
Read more:
https://www.almanac.com/10-indigenous-gardening-techniques-still-used-today#SolarPunkSunday #GrowYourOwnFood #NativeAmericans #TraditionalTechnology #ClimateChangeGardening #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #TEK #TerracedGardens #RainGardens
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Celebration of the #Strawberry
"In the #Haudenosaunee culture, the strawberry is considered a gift from the Creator and the first berry of the season holds a special place for the #Oneida. The earliest of the sweet red berries are celebrated with a special ceremony in mid-June and the fruit holds the distinction of being the Oneida name for June – Awʌ́hihte’ (a-WUH-heat).
"Oneidas use strawberries in many ways and often flavor just about all foods and drinks with them come early summer. Some are eaten immediately; some are mashed and mixed with corn to make #StrawberryBread and some are mashed and dried in strips (sometimes called '#StrawberryLeather') to be used later in cooking or to eat alone.
"The juice, or '#StrawberryWater,' is known to promote health and well-being and is a feature of various ceremonies. #MedicinalTeas also can be made from the leaves and roots of the plant, helping to heal such ailments as diarrhea and inflamed, achy joints.
Strawberry Drink Recipe:Ingredients:
- 1 quart of fresh strawberries
- 1 cup of sugar or to taste (or maple syrup, the traditional sweetener)
- ½ gallon of waterWash and hull strawberries and place in blender or food processor with sugar and mix together. Pour into pitcher and thoroughly stir in water to blend.
Refrigerate to cool."
Source:
https://www.oneidaindiannation.com/stories-and-heritage-celebration-of-the-strawberry#SolarPunkSunday
#NativePlants #IndigenousFoods #Strawberries #StrawberryRecipes #StrawberryFestival -
#Haudenosaunee #Strawberry Drink Recipe
It's finally strawberry season in San Diego, and what better to celebrate than with a fresh pitcher of traditional, Haudenosaunee strawberry drink?
Posted by Lauren J. Mapp, April 10, 2016
"#Strawberries are an important part of the Haudenosaunee food culture, so much so that they are even mentioned in our creation story. According to one version, the Earth was created when a woman fell from the Sky World and landed on a turtle's back. Many water animals tried to dive to find mud from under the sea, but the only one to survive was a muskrat. He brought mud up from deep below the surface of the water and put it on the turtle's back, helping to create Turtle Island as we know it today.
"When the #SkyWoman died and her body was buried, various plants sprouted from the earth. The #ThreeSisters of corn, beans and squash came from her head; tobacco from her heart; and various medicines and strawberries from her feet.
"Strawberries are known to have many health benefits: they are good sources of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B-6 and folate; they're rich in antioxidants; and they are a natural blood thinner.
"Today, strawberries remain an integral part of our culture, and are celebrated each year through singing, dancing and storytelling in June during the #StrawberryFestival. The following recipe for Haudenosaunee strawberry drink uses sugar instead of the more traditional maple sap (which is pretty much impossible to find in Southern California), but the flavor of this juice makes for another way to enjoy this delightful fruit.
Ingredients:
🍓2 pints of fresh strawberries
🍓2 TBS sugar
🍓Fresh, filtered Water (enough to fill pitcher)Recipe:
1. Remove leaves from strawberries, then slice them lengthwise.
2. Save 6 strawberries-worth of slices and mash remaining strawberries with a fork, muddler or potato masher.
3. Mix sugar with mashed strawberries, and then add the mixture and sliced strawberries to a 1 gallon pitcher.
4. Fill the remainder of the pitcher with fresh water and enjoy. Can be served chilled or over ice.Note: You can omit the sugar if you desire a less sweet or healthier juice. You can also substitute agave syrup, maple sap (not syrup) or honey for the sugar - just add a little at a time until it is the desired level of sweetness."
Source:
https://www.offthemappblog.com/2016/04/haudenosaunee-strawberry-drink-recipe.html#SolarPunkSunday #HistoryOfPlants
#NativePlants #WildStrawberries #IndigenousFoods -
Traditional Food Knowledge
Explore the scholarship on traditional food knowledge.
#Read all you want! #OpenAccess
#Share generously! #KnowledgeSharing
#Grow your understanding of #Food
#Repeat#Canning #Cooking #Gardening #Deskilling #RuralAlberta #TraditionalFoodKnowledge #IndigenousFoodways #Haudenosaunee #FoodGuide #IndigenousCommunityPrograms #WellBeing #TraditionalFood #Nutrition #FoodPreservation #FoodKnowledge #Storytelling
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The #Tonawanda #Seneca Nation’s Fight to Protect the #BigWoods and stop STAMP
By Margaret Wooster (WNY Environmental Alliance) with Sarah Howard (Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation + Allies of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation) June 16, 2023
"One of Western #NewYork’s greatest treasures is a 20,000-acre #wetland-#grassland complex located mainly in the Town of Alabama, and locally known as 'Alabama Swamp.' It is also known as the Sixth Great Lake, a glacial lake now largely underground but surfacing in the plentiful streams and pools that make this watery landscape essential to the many reptiles, amphibians, mammals and birds who live or pass through, especially during spring migration.
"This area is also home to the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, a federally recognized Nation and part of the #HaudenosauneeConfederacy. The extraordinary #biodiversity of this area is in large part a testament to their ongoing #stewardship and reciprocal relationship with the more-than-human beings who also call this place home.
"But now, this place, and the Tonawanda Seneca Nation itself, faces an existential threat to their well-being. The #GeneseeCounty Economic Development Center (#GCEDC) has purchased 1,260 acres of habitat and farmland to build a Science and Technology Advanced Manufacturing Park (#STAMP) adjacent to the Nation’s territory. The site is also located within a few miles of multiple state and federally protected areas, including the #Iroquois National #Wildlife Refuge and the John White Wildlife Management Area.
"The STAMP plan capitalizes on federal and state subsidies for #microchip fabrication. To date, however, its only tenant is Plug Power, a #HydrogenFuelCell manufacturer whose product will have to be trucked many miles to market, undermining its justification as 'green power.'
"Two other possible developers – semiconductor producer #EdwardsVacuum and the warehouse developer #ScannellProject – would pave or build over the site’s northern 600-plus acres and bring an extra 140 #cars and #diesel trucks per hour up the narrow country road that leads to the refuge and through the Nation.
"However, the Tonawanda Seneca Nation and their allies, including other local residents and numerous environmental organizations, are fighting back against this industrial development. In February [2023], the GCEDC applied for a 'Full Campus Incidental Take Permit' that would allow them to remove habitat for #endangered and threatened #wildlife species known to occupy the site, including the #ShortEaredOwl and the #NorthernHarrierHawk. In response to the hundreds of letters it received from the public about this permit, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) required the GCEDC to hold a public hearing, which took place on May 11 in the town of Basom.
"More than 185 people attended the hearing. All 49 who spoke were opposed to the permit and the majority expressed opposition to the entire STAMP project. Speaking in opposition were numerous members of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, including titleholders, as well as allies from groups including the Buffalo Niagara #Waterkeeper, #SierraClub, #SaveOntarioShores, SUNY ESF, University of Rochester, Western New York Environmental Alliance and the #CleanAirCoalition of Western New York. In the words of Tonawanda Seneca Nation Sub-Chief Scott Logan (Bear Clan), 'If this permit were to be granted, it would be an immense injustice to #MotherEarth. And as a #Haudenosaunee person, and all the Haudenosaunee People in here, that is our birthright. It is our, what we are here for, is to protect the earth. And the STAMP Project goes a hundred percent against what we are — what we’re all about.'
"The STAMP site is located immediately adjacent to the Nation’s present-day reservation boundaries. Indeed, the most intensive manufacturing will be located along the project’s border with the Nation. However, as their Council of Chiefs has repeatedly stated in public comment letters and letters to agencies responsible for granting permits sought by the developers, the project’s approval process has continuously and egregiously undermined the Nation’s #sovereignty. In violation of their status as a federally recognized #TribalNation, the Tonawanda Band of Seneca’s Council of Chiefs – their traditional governance structure – has not been afforded a robust consultation process in decision-making about the project. Instead, opportunities for consultation have been perfunctory at best, and have focused almost exclusively on mitigation.
"In their official letter to the NYDEC regarding the proposed Part 182 Take Permit (mentioned above), the Nation’s Council of Chiefs wrote that, 'The Tonawanda Seneca Nation opposes this habitat destruction and would directly be impacted by it. The permit would allow for unmitigated incidental take on Nation lands when, inevitably, increased human presence, noise, excavation, light and traffic would disturb these species and turn them away… We do not want our Territory, people or future generations to be burdened by the negative impacts of these projects. This is a human rights issue for the Tonawanda Seneca Nation and the Haudenosaunee, who would bear a disproportionate burden from the industrialization of the land at STAMP.'
"The Council of Chiefs has demanded that a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) be carried out to assess the possible impacts on the Nation, its culture and its environment; to date there has been no such study and the 2012 STAMP EIS (which did not analyze impacts on the nation) is badly outdated."
https://globaljusticeecology.org/tonawanda-seneca-nation/
#ForestDefenders #SenecaNation #FirstNations #NativeAmericanRights #CulturalGenocide #EnvironmentalRacism #Greenwashing #HydrogenPower