New Mexico Program Teaches Anasazi, Navajo Gardening
By Carol Cohea Associated Press
BLOOMFIELD — Two groups of children from Bloomfield and Kirtland are finding out this summer what it might have been like to garden in the days of the Anasazi.
They have been transported back in time by growing traditional American Indian plants in a waffle garden at Salmon Ruins and Heritage Park in northwest New Mexico.
The project is giving kids a chance to learn about gardening and growing things, as well as giving them a dose of history, culture, literacy skills and scientific reasoning. It runs from May through September.
With the help of Americorp volunteer Diana Moss of Aztec, N.M., the kids weed, water and tend the garden on a weekly basis.
In May, students from Bloomfield High School planted the waffle garden in the Heritage Park area of Salmon Ruins.
Seeds of corn, squash and beans were donated by Native Seeds/SEARCH, of Tucson, Ariz., a nonprofit organization that keeps specimens of Indian seeds in a seed bank, said Tristan Kwiecinski, educational coordinator for Salmon Ruins.
"Otherwise these seeds might be wiped out," she said.
The garden was sown with traditional seeds having names like Appaloosa beans, Hopi speckled corn, dipper gourd, birdhouse gourd, Hopi blue corn, Navajo hubbard squash, Zuni shalako beans, Tarahumara squash, Mitla black bean, Navajo blue corn, Acoma pumpkin, San Juan Pueblo cushaw and Navajo robin's egg corn.
The seeds were planted in the traditional group of three — corn, beans and squash — in a depression. The grouping is known as the three sisters garden of native culture.
"The idea," Kwiecinski said, "is that the corn grows taller to shade beans and squash and to provide a support for the beans to grow up. The corn and beans also shade the squash. In the meantime, the beans will fix nitrogen to improve the soil."
It is, of course, all organic.
The waffle concept comes from the appearance of the depressions in the garden. When done authentically, the depressions are square, each adjoining the next. The overall appearance is that of a waffle pattern.
"Some pueblos still use the waffle garden. Traditionally, the puebloans would pack the sides of each depression with clay to better hold the water," Kwiecinski said.
In this garden, kids are careful to rebuild the depressions after watering and hoeing, though the squares get a rounder appearance. A little farther down the Heritage Park pathway behind the Navajo hogan is the Navajo garden. Lacking the waffle feature, the ground is flat and the water drains off rapidly.
Between the drought and sun, plants struggle to survive. Kids study the difference in the gardening techniques between the two cultures.
Tara Roper's favorite garden chore is pulling weeds and watering in the Anasazi garden. She helped plant the Navajo garden in early June. "It's been fun," said Tara, 10, of Bloomfield, "learning about the Puebloans and Navajo gardening. The waffle garden is neat. It's neat how they did it."
She thinks other kids would like to get involved in the gardening. "They'd like it because it's fun and they'd get to learn about stuff they probably didn't know about," she said.
"In the Navajo garden, we used sticks to dig holes, then we put the seeds in," said Courtney Clark, 11, of Bloomfield, looking somewhat exasperated at the struggling plants. "Without waffles, the water just flows everywhere."
Courtney said she really doesn't garden a lot, but has become really interested in the two plots.
"I'm interested in the history and it's been great to learn the stuff they did," she said. "Of course, there are some differences. We have tools and a hose to water. We use a clock for time and a calendar for the date instead of the sun and moon."
After the garden work, kids write in journals about their observations, including the weather conditions, the temperature and what they saw growing and moving in the garden. They also explain what they did different from ancient gardeners.
Part of the project includes the harvest. The heirloom produce is scheduled to be on display at the San Juan County Fair.
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