March 5-20 in Sulphur; Three Sisters Celebration at Cultural Center

CONTRIBUTED BY KC Cole, Public Affairs, Media Relations.

This article appeared in the February 2016 edition of the Chickasaw Times

SULPHUR, Okla. – Many manifestations of Chickasaw culture will be featured during the Three Sister Spring Celebration, March 5-20 at the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur.

The celebration will include traditional games, storytelling, stickball, archery, living history performers and family-friendly films.

There is no better time than spring to plant a Three Sisters garden and learn about the culture and history so deeply rooted in the Chickasaw people.

When thinking of planting a garden, there are a few things to take into consideration.

The Three Sisters planting beds should be in a sunny area, clear of grass, weeds and rocks. The soil of the beds should be covered with a few inches of compost. Once the compost is laid on the ground, turn it so the soil and compost mix. Water the area well to spread the nutrients deep into the soil.

Planting should begin in late spring, typically late May and into June. Begin by hoeing the ground and piling the soil into mounds about one foot high and two feet across. The centers of the mounds need to be about four feet apart and have flattened tops.

Corn is planted first. In the center of the flattened mound, plant five to 10 corn kernels in a ring pattern spaced out six inches from each other. The kernels should not be deeper than an inch, watered in well.

After a couple of weeks, the corn stalks should be at a height of eight to 10 inches. Plant the beans about six inches away from the corn, toward the outer edge of the mound. Again, these need to be watered in well, planted about an inch into the soil. The beans will sprout in about seven to 14 days.

Using the same planting technique, the squash is placed farthest from the center of the mound, about 18 inches, a week after the beans have sprouted. This is a good time to remove any weeds or weak corn stalks from the mound.

As the corn grows, the beans will begin to climb up their stalks. A gardener can help the process by wrapping the beans around the corn stalk. The squash will grow along the edge of the mound. It may be necessary to turn the squash ends toward the center of the mound. Water the mound well.

With little effort, the Three Sisters style of gardening will guarantee maximum efficiency of limited space and provide variety of vegetables within the garden.

For more information on the Three Sisters Celebration, contact the Chickasaw Cultural Center at (580) 622-7130.