Vineland in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Meet the Three Sisters
Photographed by McGhiever, May 29, 2025
1. Meet the Three Sisters Marker
The Three Sisters are a trio of plants: corn, beans, and squash. Indigenous farmers across the Americas grow them together.
In many Native communities, the Three Sisters are the most important crops. They are a cornerstone of companion planting. By clustering plants that benefit each other, farmers grow more food with less work.
Fun fact: all three plants are classified as fruits, because they have seeds or kernels.
The Three Sisters garden at Mille Lacs Indian Museum, 2021
The Three Sisters help each other out.
Corn makes the most food. She needs lots of water and nitrogen, and she hates weeds.
Beans are high in protein, and they fertilize the soil with nitrogen. They need to climb up corn's strong stalks.
Squash is the youngest sister. She is unruly and like to run around. Her broad leaves shade the ground and choke out weeds. Her bristly leaves and stems keep pests away. She makes lots of food.
The Three Sisters, 2020. Illustration by Garlan Miles
This sign made possible by the Rosemary and David Good Family Foundation
Erected by Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post.
Topics.
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Location. 46° 10.572′ N, 93° 45.35′ W. Marker is in Vineland, Minnesota, in Mille Lacs County. It can be reached from the intersection of Oodena Drive and U.S. 169, on the right when traveling east. The marker is at the Mille Lacs Indian Museum and Trading Post, at the demonstration garden east of the Trading Post. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 43411 Oodena Drive, Onamia MN 56359, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Minnesota. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Mashkodiisiminag (here, next to this marker);
Photographed by McGhiever, May 29, 2025
2. Meet the Three Sisters Marker on the northeast side of the demonstration garden
Credits. This page was last revised on May 6, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 6, 2026, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 6, 2026, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
