MANY NATIVE AMERICAN NATIONS USED THREE SISTERS INTERCROPPING PRACTICES, BASED ON KNOWLEDGE OF THREE CULTIVATED CROPS (CORN, BEANS, AND SQUASH) TAKING CARE OF ONE ANOTHER WHEN PLANTED TOGETHER. THREE SISTERS INTERCROPPING LIKELY ENHANCED SOIL HEALTH, BUT LITTLE RESEARCH HAS EXAMINED WHY THIS MIGHT BE TRUE. THE REASONS MAY INCLUDE THE SAME BIOPHYSICAL MECHANISMS IN MODERN INTERCROPPING THAT RESULT IN NUTRIENT CYCLING, SOIL BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY, AND ACCUMULATION OF SOIL ORGANIC MATTER. THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO IMPROVE NUTRITION, ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, AND SOIL HEALTH BY SUPPORTING NATIVE AMERICAN STAKEHOLDER EFFORTS TO REINVIGORATE THREE SISTERS INTERCROPPING PRACTICE. THIS ADDRESSES THREE PROGRAM AREA PRIORITIES: (1) FOOD SAFETY, NUTRITION, AND HEALTH; (2) BIOENERGY, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND ENVIRONMENT; AND (3) AGRICULTURE ECONOMICS AND RURAL COMMUNITIES. OUR OBJECTIVES ARE TO (1) ASSESS IMPORTANCE OF THREE SISTERS INTERCROPPING PRACTICE TO MIDWESTERN NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITIES, DETERMINE THE REASONS FOR DECLINE AND CURRENT OBSTACLES TO REVITALIZATION, AND POTENTIAL FOR REVITALIZED THREE SISTERS INTERCROPPING PRACTICE TO IMPROVE NUTRITION AND RURAL COMMUNITY ECONOMICS; AND (2) DETERMINE, DOCUMENT, AND DISSEMINATE THE BENEFITS OF THREE SISTERS INTERCROPPING TO SOIL HEALTH. THIS PROJECT WILL USE ETHNOGRAPHY, SURVEYS, AND INTERVIEWS TO DEMONSTRATE THE HISTORICAL AND SOCIOCULTURAL IMPORTANCE OF THREE SISTERS INTERCROPPING FOR NATIVE COMMUNITIES AND ADVANCE THEIR FOOD SECURITY PROGRAMS. RESEARCHERS AND NATIVE GROWERS WILL WORK TOGETHER IN A CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT THAT COMBINES TRADITIONAL SOIL HEALTH MEASUREMENTS AND A NOVEL AND INEXPENSIVE SOIL HEALTH INDICATOR TO HELP DETERMINE THE EFFECT OF INTERCROPPING ON SOIL HEALTH. UNDERSTANDING THE BASIC AGRONOMIC MECHANISMS OF HOW THREE SISTERS INTERCROPPING WORKS COULD ALSO AID EFFORTS TO DIVERSIFY MODERN MONOCULTURAL AGROECOSYSTEMS.