Final answer:
Indigenous peoples in the c. Southwest region grew the "three sisters" crops — corn, squash, and beans. The Haudenosaunee people practiced Three Sisters cultivation with maize, beans, and pumpkins, where each plant offered a benefit to the others.
Step-by-step explanation:
This practice of intercropping, where plants of different types are grown together to benefit each other's growth, was common among Indigenous groups in North and Central America. The Haudenosaunee people, also known as the Iroquois or Six Nations, practiced Three Sisters cultivation with maize, beans, and pumpkins.
Each plant in the mound offered a benefit to the others, with the pumpkin vines providing shade and preventing erosion, the bean plants fixing nitrogen in the soil, and the maize plants providing trellises for the climbing beans. By growing these crops together, Indigenous peoples were able to ensure food security, as well as maintain a balanced and diverse diet. The "three sisters" crops provided a combination of carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins, making them a nutritious and sustainable food source.