Before sowing, the blessing of the Creator is requested. The Seed Ceremony takes place for one day, in the Town Hall we thank the return of the sowing season and we ask for a good harvest.
The women sing in thanks to Mother Earth and the Three Sisters accompanied by the music of rattles made with the shell of the turtle, alternately the men sing while the women applaud.
The game of peach stones is developed and finally the great feather dance.
Sometimes in the peach pit game, the men played against the women, the winning team wouldn't have to plant that season.
Seeds, Three Sisters
(Corn-Bean-Pumpkin)
A legend iroquois speaks of three sisters who sprouted from the buried body of the Sky Woman's daughter to give man the gift of agriculture. All different in appearance and personality, they live together and help each other; they teach that diversity is strength.
The Iroquois used a system interlayer for their crops, first planting corn – the older sister –, two or three weeks later beans, and between the rows pumpkins.
The maize plants were natural poles that the beans could climb on, while serving to stabilize them in strong winds. The spiky leaves of large pumpkins shade the ground, retaining moisture and inhibiting weed growth. Bean roots are a “ foyer " for a particular type of bacteria that fix nitrogen in the soil, allowing the same plot to be cultivated for several years. The three sisters also complement each other in terms of nutritional values.
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