Native Americans revive squash from seeds found in an 800-year-old pot

[sue4e3]

http://www.ancient-origins.net/news-science-space/native-americans-revive-squash-seeds-found-800-year-old-pot-004515
Some Native Americans found squash seeds in a pot about 800 years old and revived the plant for the first time in centuries. The seeds from the large, bright orange squash have been distributed to native communities and to others, including some college students in Canada who grew a big, orange squash this fall.
There is a worldwide movement to keep the planet’s rich heritage of food crops safe from genetic modification, catastrophe and loss of diversity that may result from food producers’ growing just a few high-yield or tough varieties of fruits, vegetables and crops.
Winona LaDuke, a native leader who ran for vice president with Ralph Nader on the Green Party ticket in 2000, named the squash Gete Okosomin or “big old squash,” says a blog posting from the American Indian Center of Chicago.
The revival of the giant squash comes at a time when scientists are trying to conserve the world’s precious and greatly diverse varieties and species of plant foods. In 2004, scientists from around the world opened a seed bank on a Norwegian island north of the Arctic Circle, where cold, dry conditions are right for preservation. Already there are hundreds of thousands of types of plant-food seeds in the vault.

[louis-t]

1. Cool!

[w0nderer]

2. heritage seeds rock, any idea where to get these? n/t

[mopinko]

4. my first thought, too.

i know someone from aic. gonna check this out.

eta- problem is that members of the squash family cross pollinate pretty freely. so it is hard to keep them pure.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Amazing and wonderful. More power to this essential movement. Thank you. n/t

[GliderGuider]

5. In other news: Monsanto claims ownership, sues Native Americans. nt

[Omaha Steve]

6. PLEASE x post in First Americans

I just found this post. F A Group: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1191

K&R!

OS