Which concept best explains the Three Sisters' impact on Haudenosaunee society?

• A. The shift to nomadic hunting.
• B. The development of sedentary agricultural societies.
• C. The immediate collapse of corn farming.
• D. The abandonment of farming.

Answer: (B)

The Three Sisters farming shows how a thoughtful crop system can transform a people from moving around to living in settled communities. Planting corn, beans, and squash together creates a reliable and abundant food supply: corn gives sturdy stalks for beans to climb, beans fix nitrogen to feed the soil, and squash blankets the ground to conserve moisture and suppress weeds. With this steady harvest, Haudenosaunee communities could establish permanent villages, store surplus, and develop social structures and networks that support governance and trade. That shift to sedentary agricultural life best explains the impact of the Three Sisters on Haudenosaunee society. The other options don’t fit: nomadic hunting would contrast with the move to stable farming; there was no immediate collapse of corn farming or abandonment of farming.