Thanksgiving is just around the corner, calling to mind Pilgrims, Native Americans, and a bountiful feast of food harvested from the land. However, our modern rituals are far from the gathering that is said to have occurred between Native Americans and Pilgrims in 1621. In fact, the original story of the first Thanksgiving is largely just that: a story. The holiday itself officially began in 1789 as a day of prayer and thanksgiving, with nothing to do with Native Americans. In the late nineteenth century, the tale of the first Thanksgiving was designed to set forth an image of peace and unity while clearly defining “Americanism” for the new European immigrants (Sherman, 2019). That being said, many of the foods traditionally served during this U.S. holiday, such as pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, baked beans, and cranberry sauce,  did originate from crops grown by Native Americans (Park et al., 2016).

Did you know that Native Americans developed a complex agricultural system with practices that would be beneficial to follow today? While historically many Native American tribes obtained much of their food from hunting animals, such as bison, and foraging for wild edibles, such as nuts and berries, they also depended on growing food for a portion of their diet. Native Americans are widely known for their domestication of one of the world’s most consumed staple crops, maize (corn), which was used as a main ingredient in a variety of indigenous foods, such as corn bread and succotash (see recipe below). In fact, Native American maize farmers in east-central North America produced three to five times as much grain per acre as European wheat farmers during the same time period (Tenenbaum, 2012).

A majority of Native American agriculture revolved around three crops, known as the three sisters – corn, beans, and squash. Instead of dividing fields into sections containing just one plant as is typical on today's farms, Native Americans used companion planting in rows of mounds in which they planted the corn, beans, and squash together. This created a mutually beneficial relationship between the three plants. The corn stalks provided a pole for beans to climb, and the shade from the corn benefited squash that grew under the leaves. The beans provided nitrogen for the corn and squash. Finally, the shade from large squash leaves held moisture in the ground for all three plants (Park et al., 2016). Modern-day agriculture often consists of large monocrops, but the Native Americans’ three sisters agricultural system demonstrates the advantages of increasing crop diversity in agricultural fields. On CEI's new farm, one of the first things we planted was a three sisters garden. It thrived even during this summer's drought and the children in our Roots & Wings program had a wonderful time harvesting and popping the Dakota Black popcorn that was grown.

Native American growing practices were sustainable in their respect for the land. Since they did not deplete the soil, farmers did not need to create new fields by burning forest (Park et al., 2016). Much of indigenous agriculture consisted of permanent crops (perennials) which do not require replanting each season. Additionally, Native Americans did not traditionally plow or till their soil (Tenenbaum, 2012). It has become standard practice to till and plow farm land, but this disturbs the soil, leading to increased erosion, poor water absorption, the release of sequestered carbon, and the depletion of organic matter in the soil. Traditionally, Native Americans also rotated their fields instead of fertilizing in order to maintain crop productivity (Agriculture, American Indian, 2019). Crop rotation decreases land degradation and increases soil fertility and nutrients. Disregarded by large scale, industrialized agriculture, practices such as no-till farming, planting with perennials, and crop rotation have started to gain traction again with those interested in practicing regenerative agriculture. CEI is putting these practices into place on our new farm with gratitude for the wisdom Native American communities have long held for how to live in respectful, healthy  relationship with the natural environment. 

This year, let’s take the time to learn more about the true story of Thanksgiving, recognize and honor the Native American people who live(d) on and care(d) for the land on which we live, give thanks for the opportunity to enjoy delicious foods cultivated by the indigenous peoples of this land, and commit to practices that help us to live in greater balance and harmony with the natural environment on which we depend. 
 
 Succotash Recipe:

In World Wars I and II, the U.S. government launched the National War Garden Commission that encouraged Americans to grow their own food in home gardens. These gardens were known as “Victory Gardens” and became quite popular across the nation. By 1944, there were over 20 million victory gardens in the United States. The Climate Victory Garden is the revival of the original Victory Garden, but this time we have a new fighting: climate change.

In 2017 alone, there were 53.5 gigatons of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere. For reference, that is equal to 117,947,310,268,910.8 pounds! Scientists have determined that cutting all greenhouse gas emissions, meaning that number would drop to zero, is not enough to prevent the average global temperature from increasing 2℃, which is the threshold for catastrophic global warming. In order to limit the temperature increase, we would need to achieve negative greenhouse gas emissions.

Many companies are working on bioenergy and carbon capture technologies to achieve negative emissions. However, did you know that there is something you can do at your own home to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? By growing your own Climate Victory Garden, you can make a difference. A Climate Victory Garden is a garden that utilizes regenerative agricultural practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration. Carbon sequestration is the process by which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and stored elsewhere, such as in soil.

The Climate Victory Garden employs a number of sustainable agricultural practices, such as: minimal soil disruption through no-till agriculture; planting perennial crops with deep roots that can store more carbon; increasing biodiversity, which creates a more stable and resilient ecosystem; and using cover crops that feed soil organisms and increase soil carbon levels. These practices improve the soil quality, which not only increases the soil’s carbon sequestration capacity, but also benefits the overall health of the garden.

Another way the Climate Victory Garden aids the environment is by limiting greenhouse gases emitted through food transportation and production. The food you buy at the store is processed, packaged, and shipped to your area. A considerable amount of greenhouse gases are emitted at all these stages. However, if more Americans were to grow their own food at home, greenhouse gas emissions from food production would significantly decrease.

Here at the Community Ecology Institute, we are in the process of growing our own Climate Victory Garden, which is only the second certified Climate Victory Garden in the state of Maryland. We will be sharing the process of growing our garden online, including tips for those of you who join us by planting your own gardens.
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If you are concerned about the future of our planet, you don’t need to wait around for others to do something. You can make a difference right now by starting your own Climate Victory Garden. For more information, visit the Green America website at www.greenamerica.org/climatevictorygarden.

​By Faith Haney