Flagstaff High School

Three Sisters Mural

Lillee M.

Over the course of a few years, Flagstaff High School has begun decorating its campus with beautiful art. Ranging from the bookshelf mural in the 100 hallway to the aquatic masterpiece in the 500 hallway, it is clear the school is not shying away from incorporating the artistic expression of the student body into the environment of the facility. The most recent masterpiece was created by the team at Terra BIRDS—Flagstaff, Arizona based nonprofit organization collective—as well as a group of around 40 FHS students (biology students in collaboration with members of the Native American Club) and is located in Ms. Musta’s science classroom in the 800 hallway. 

            The mural depicts the historic indigenous agricultural practice and cultural legend of the Three Sisters. This conceptualizes the idea that squash, beans, and corn must be planted and grown together in order to allow the sustainable, effective, and harmonious growth of the crops, being that they have a nurturing relationship with one another. This practice, as well as its cultural impact, is a synonymous way of perceiving plant life among many varying indigenous communities and tribes across the entire United States—ranging from the Haudenosaunee Confederacy of the North East, to the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, to even the Hopi Tribe of Arizona.

            This legend upholds the purposes of community and collectivism in maintaining flourishing naturalistic communities. In my research, I contacted Robert Chambers, the brilliant illustrator of the mural—as well as an amalgamation of other forms of media, like comics and children’s books—to ask him about his experience developing this painting. He provided his insight involving the impact and importance of this story by saying, “The Three Sisters center around themes of reciprocity, harmony, reverence and mutual flourishing. These themes run against the grain of our public-school culture, so there is some interesting tension there. There are also major differences between indigenous farming practices and the practices of the global food supply that make living in Flagstaff possible.” This perspective provokes a fascinating train of thought regarding the implementation of historical practices and how they change, grow, and adapt over time to become new ideas that are maybe even more effective in modern circumstances—as well as how finite cultural traditions impact the expression of the culture itself. 

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