In Native American lore, squash, corn and beans are known as the “Three Sisters.” The “sisters” take center stage at “Three Sisters: Stews, Soups and Stuff,” Nov. 4, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., at Pellissippi State Community College.
The public is invited to the free celebration, which recognizes Native American Heritage Month. The event takes place in the Goins Building College Center at the Pellissippi Campus, 10915 Hardin Valley Road.
Participants will be treated to an afternoon of Native American music, arts, crafts and food. One of the dishes to be shared is a traditional soup made from squash, corn and beans—the bounty of the ancient growing method of “Three Sisters gardening.” In this still-used technique, the three crops are planted together, corn in the middle, allowing the beans to climb the cornstalks and the squash to spread as a weed-suppressing groundcover.
Musician and flute maker Daniel Bigay, an enrolled member of the Echota Cherokee Tribe, performs 11:15-noon and 1:15-2 p.m. Bigay has two Native American flute CDs that have been released nationally. His CD “Bird Songs” received a nomination for best flute recording at the 2005 Indian Summer Music Awards. He has performed in concert and demonstrated flute making at powwows, art shows and cultural festivals across the country.
“I believe that the Native American Indian flute is one of the most unique and beautiful-sounding instruments in the world,” he said. “For me, my artwork is a way of preserving and continuing our culture, and honoring the ancestors that gave us our way of life.”
The event is sponsored by Pellissippi State’s Access and Diversity Office. For more information, contact the college at (865) 694-6400. To request accommodations for a disability, contact the executive director of Human Resources and Affirmative Action at (865) 694-6607 or humanresources@pstcc.edu.