"the People's Paths!" Cherokee News Path - Cherokees Offering Heirloom Seed Exchange

"These juvenile rattlesnake beans are just one of the more than twenty varieties of historic Cherokee plants that can be grown as part of the Cherokee Nation’s heirloom seed exchange program."

TAHLEQUAH, Oklahoma - In recent years many area gardeners have begun looking to the past for the inspiration for their crops by cultivating heirloom plants. To help celebrate and promote this special type of living history, the Cherokee Nation is offering a limited quantity of uniquely Cherokee seeds to its tribal citizens.

“The idea behind the seed exchange was to let Cherokee Nation citizens become part of the heirloom plant project by giving seeds out so people could grow their own bit of Cherokee history,” said Pat Gwin, Cherokee Nation Natural Resources Director. “More than twenty plants that have been identified as historically being with the Cherokee people for generations, from beans that resemble snakes to giant squash.”

The Cherokee Nation Natural Resources Department has been obtaining and growing a variety of heirloom Cherokee plants for the past several years. Although the seed stock was gathered from throughout the United States, its origins come from the Cherokee Nation’s ancestral lands in the southeast.

“We have several varieties of corn, gourds and beans, as well as a few specialized plants such as tobaccos and squashes. Many of these plants represent our living ancestors and make delicious table fare. Others are great for art,” Gwin said.

The Nation is asking gardeners who participate in the project to send a few seeds back to the tribe after harvest to help keep the Cherokee Nation’s seed bank supplied. This will help the program expand and ensure that future generations are able to enjoy the heirloom plants.

Because of the small amount of seeds available, the program is limiting each participant to one species of plant. The seeds are available only to Cherokee Nation citizens and are intended for planting rather than as souvenirs.

For more information or to request your seeds, please contact Pat Gwin, phone: 918-453-5704 or e-mail: pgwin@cherokee.org, or Mark Dunham, phone: 918-453-5336 or e-mail: mark-dunham@cherokee.org.