at Vantage Press, Burlington, Vt. Burlington, Press, Vantage at

Printed on FSC-certified 100% post-consumer recycled paper paper recycled post-consumer 100% FSC-certified on Printed

the Sacred Seed Network Seed Sacred the provided by New Chapter and Will and Lynette Raap. Lynette and Will and Chapter New by provided

Support for the Abenaki Heritage Garden is generously generously is Garden Heritage Abenaki the for Support of member Proud

www.gardeners.com

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645 Pine St., Suite B, Burlington, VT 05401 VT Burlington, B, Suite St., Pine 645

www.sacredseedssanctuary.org

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Gardens Community Area Burlington

www.burlingtongardens.org

Friends of Burlington Gardens Burlington of Friends Advisory Board. Advisory

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www.nrcs.usda.gov

Gardens sites around the city. The Abenaki Abenaki The city. the around sites Gardens

Conservation Service Conservation

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Service Conservation Resources Natural USDA

Parks and Recreation operating 11 Community Community 11 operating Recreation and Parks

Resources Natural USDA a program of the Burlington Department of of Department Burlington the of program a www.uvm.edu/~envprog/

• • Burlington Area Community Gardens Community Area Burlington

is is Program Environmental UVM’s

(802) 868-2559 • [email protected] • 868-2559 (802) UVM Environmental Program Program Environmental UVM

www.intervale.org 660-0440 (802) www.abenakination.org

05401 VT Burlington,

Intervale Center Intervale

Road Intervale 180 05488 VT Swanton, Ave., Grand 100

Center Intervale Association Self-Help Abenaki & of Burlington Parks and Recreation and Parks Burlington of

Museum Tribal Abenaki

of the land we are proud to steward. to proud are we land the of

program a Gardens, Community Area Burlington

established as part of this special partnership. special this of part as established tradition agricultural and culture the honors

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Abenaki Nation at Missisquoi at Nation Abenaki mission is to strengthen community community strengthen to is mission Heritage Abenaki the to home is Swanton in

corridors along the Winooski River. Our Our River. Winooski the along corridors headquarters tribal Our community. Abenaki

the of Band Francis/Sokoki St.

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Intervale Center Center Intervale Abenaki the of Band Francis/Sokoki St. manages 350 acres acres 350 manages The The

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Friends of Burlington Gardens, Gardener’s Supply, and the Sacred Seeds Network. Network. Seeds Sacred the and Supply, Gardener’s Gardens, Burlington of Friends

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PARTNERS 660-0440 x106 or [email protected] or x106 660-0440

in Burlington, Vermont Burlington, in

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Intervale the at Contact: Contact: up sign or volunteer To

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HERITAGE

Volunteer: Volunteer: We welcome community community welcome We

available by reservation. by available

daylight hours. Guided tours are are tours Guided hours. daylight

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180 Intervale Road, Burlington, Vermont Burlington, Road, Intervale 180

Center, Intervale the at located is garden The EXPERIENCE THE GARDEN THE EXPERIENCE

ABENAKI & THE INTERVALE THE THREE SISTERS By about 5,000 years ago the skamon atebakwal wasawa ancestors of modern day Abenaki AGRICULTURAL were well established in the HERITAGE Champlain Valley and at the Intervale. They were the western- The woodlands and rivers of most group of the Wabanaki Vermont provided a wide variety Federation — Native American of plants and animals that the Algonquian speakers whose Abenaki depended on for their homelands included much of food. Agriculture based on corn, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, beans, and squash made its way to corn beans squash and Quebec. The earliest native The Abenaki Heritage Garden their roots, improving the overall people, the Paleoindians, arrived and the Southwest well before contains varieties of corn, squash, fertility of the soil. The squash vines here much earlier, probably around Europeansthe Champlain arrived. Valley It from took Mexico time and beans derived from those provide shade to keep the soil moist 11,000-12,000 years ago. and skill to select varieties of these believed to have been cultivated and inhibit weeds. southern species that could mature During the Woodland period, the in this area by the Abenaki before Corn, beans and squash also in our short summers. By 1,120 AD Abenaki lived a life carefully tuned European contact. complement each other nutritionally: the Abenaki were growing a range to the seasons. Part of the year they The core of the garden is these three corn provides carbohydrates, dried spent in villages located near Lake crops planted together and grown in beans are rich in protein, and squash but still moving seasonally to hunt, Champlain and the Winooski river. of crops in fields by their villages, traditional methods. Corn provides is a good source of vitamins. Each a natural pole for the climbing bean could be eaten fresh or dried for agricultural crops supplemented They moved seasonally in smaller winter consumption. fish theand wild forage food for and wild provided plants. foodThe security — especially during the a wide variety of roots, berries, vines and the beans fix nitrogen on groups to fish, hunt, and to harvest winter. IN THE GARDEN maintained long distance trade Not all the crops were for Although archaeological remains St. Francis/Sokoki Band of the net-worksnuts, greens with and fibers.other They Native also food. Tobacco, a sacred plant Abenaki Nation at Missisquoi and Americans, traveling by birch used in ritual, was among the the Sacred Seeds Network, a project bark canoes and dugout canoes. most important — and may varietiescan identify grown the species, by the itAbenaki is difficult at of the Missouri Botanical Garden theto Intervale. correctly identify the exact and New Chapter Organics. Archeological evidence have arrived before corn. shows that Abenaki people The crops planted in the garden Open this brochure for an This agricultural tradition were living seasonally very near were chosen based on historical Abenaki Heritage Garden map. continues today at the where the garden is located Intervale with 12 independent companies, and conversations with moment to think about the history farmers growing vegetables, yielded a cooking hearth eldersrecords, in expertsthe Abenaki at heirloom community. seed ofAs the you food, explore the land, the and garden, the people. take a berries, and meat for the andtoday. pieces Recent of excavations tools and have Future plans for the garden include These traditional crops have fed region. pottery. traditional medicinals that will be generations of people at the Intervale selected in collaboration with the and beyond.

Welcome to our garden N’tongwezid nebizokikonek ABENAKI HERITAGE GARDEN SELF-GUIDED TOUR Please do not pick any of the vegetables, herbs, or flowers. The sweetgrass and tobacco are sacred plants and should not be touched or photographed. Thank you for respecting the garden!

The Abenaki grew several varieties THREE SISTERS 1 of corn. Popcorn was dried and South PLANTING East West The three main crops — corn, fresh. Thestored, varieties flint corn of corn was planted ground herefor beans, and squash — are in hills flour,are Roy’s and otherCalais varieties Flint, Koasek, were eaten and Tom much as the Abenaki would have Thumb Popcorn. North planted their crops. Discussions with Native Amer- ican elders and research of the historical record indicate that although all Native American tribes planted in hills, different tribes had different strategies based on the local environment and the varieties of seed they Sweetgrass and planted. These strategies varied Tobacco are in the distance between hills, sacred crops. 7 Gourds the size of the hills themselves, and the number and type of 8 seeds planted in the hills. The hills here are 24 to 30 inches in diameter and spaced about 6 feet apart on center. Each hill contains 4 corn seeds, 4 bean seeds, and 2 to 4 squash seeds. The corn is planted Beans are a multi-purpose crop that toward the four directions — East, West, North and are used in many ways. They can South. Beans are planted be eaten fresh whole, shelled when between the corn slightly older, and dried once fully around the circle, and ripened. Dried beans can be stored the squash is planted throughout the winter. on the periphery of 2 Jacob’s Cattle beans are the hill. growing on west side of the The corn provides garden and Wobenaki True a natural pole for the 3 Red Cranberry beans climbing beans, which are on the east side.

roots, improving the fixoverall nitrogen fertility on of theirthe soil. The squash vines provide shade to keep the soil moist and inhibit weeds.

The nine varieties of squash grown in the garden represent different harvest times, use, and storage. The summer squash — White Bush Scallop and Yellow Crookneck — 4 mature early and are used fresh through- out the summer. They are planted in the mounds on the north end of the garden. The winter squash are planted in the center mounds. These varieties — Table Queen Acorn, Burgess Buttercup, Waltham Butternut, Boston 5 Marrow, and Blue Hubbard — are used when ripe and store well over the winter. Jerusalem The New England Pie and Connecticut Artichokes 9 Field pumpkins are planted on the 6 southern-most mounds. They are usually sliced and dried for use over the winter.

WHAT’S IN THE GARDEN? Illustration by Jessica Avison Roy’s Calais Flint Corn is an excellent Vermont flint Wobenaki True Red Cranberry Bean is one of the Burgess Buttercup Squash is thought to be derived Jerusalem Artichoke is a cross of two different corn that was recognized by the Slow Food “Ark of 1,186 beans given to Seed Savers Exchange in 1981 from a Native American squash from the Northeast. sunflowers. It produces tubers that can be eaten much Taste” as a historic variety worth preserving. It makes by John Withee and his Wanigan Associates. Wanigan like potatoes, The tubers store well in the ground Waltham Butternut Squash is thought to have been an excellent cornmeal, flour, or hominy. Roy’s Calais is the Abenaki word used for the cook shacks on rafts through the winter, so they can be harvested in the derived from a Native American squash common the Flint is an Abenaki native corn maintained by Roy Fair which floated down the rivers of the Northeast during fall or spring. Northeast and Canada. This particular variety used of Calais, Vermont and preserved by Tom Stearns of the spring lumber drives, where huge quantities of the Canadian Crookneck as parent stock. Sweetgrass is an aromatic perennial grass that is High Mowing Seeds. beans were cooked and served. This bean is thought to sacred to the Abenaki. Its long leaves have a sweet be original to the Connecticut River valley. Boston Marrow Squash was originally obtained Koasek Corn was grown in the Connecticut River scent that stays potent for many years when woven from Native Americans in Buffalo, New York. It is fine Valley up and down river from Newbury during the White Bush Scallop Squash is a very ancient Native into braids or baskets. It is also used for smudging grained with a sweet flesh and has excellent eating Late Woodland Period, the Contact Period and into American heirloom squash, grown by the North ceremonies, as a purifier, and some drink it as a tea. qualities. present time. American Indians for hundreds of years. This type was Tobacco is a sacred plant grown for ceremonial use. depicted by Europeans as far back as 1591. Blue Hubbard Squash is an old variety that stores Tom Thumb Popcorn was bred by Elwyn Meader Planting and care was the responsibility of men. They well. It is most likely derived from New England at UNH. The dwarf plants grow to 3 1/2 feet tall and Yellow Crookneck Squash is one of the oldest varieties planted it in small fenced plots and dried both flowers squashes and is related to the Boston Marrow. produce one or two 3- to 4-inch long ears. of squash, dating back to pre-Columbian times. It was and leaves for smoking. introduced to colonial gardeners in the early 1700’s New England Pie Pumpkin is thought to have Jacob’s Cattle Bean is an heirloom in the Pike and by the Leni Lenape of the Delaware River Valley. been derived from a small Native American pumpkin Clark families of Lubec, Maine. It came as a gift to common to the Northeast. them from the Passamaquoddy Indians of Maine to Table Queen Acorn Squash is similar to squash Joseph Clark, the first white child born in Lubec. This grown by the Arikara tribe from the mid-west. Connecticut Field Pumpkin was a heirloom is thought to be a very old variety and possibly related Accounts by an early naturalist of the squashes found pumpkin of the New England settlers. It is one of the to other similar Native American beans throughout in the Northeast include squash that would fit this oldest pumpkins in existence. It was given to us by the North America. description. Native Americans pre-1700. This garden was established in solidarity with the Abenaki Heritage Garden at Missisquoi, located at the Abenaki Tribal Headquarters in Swanton. The food grown at both gardens is distributed within the Abenaki community and greater Swanton area. For more information about the Sister Garden in Swanton, contact the Abenaki Self-Help Association at [email protected]