About the Office of the Three Sisters

The Office of the Three Sisters is a polycropping of three organizations which grow together for mutual support and allyship.

What is Polycropping?

Polycropping is an Indigenous regenerative agriculture practice where complementary plants are grown together to create strategic allyship. This method models a thriving, interconnected ecosystem in which each plant contributes to the wellbeing of the others. The growing of corn, green beans, and squash together, called the Three Sisters, is one well-known example.

The Three Organizations

CoALA — Cooperative Authentic Learning Association (Eldest Sister)

Lifelong learning for ethical livelihoods. CoALA supports community-conscious businesses and self-employment, helping members build financial independence, shared prosperity, and resilient futures rooted in cooperation.

HWSY — Hampina Wasi Sacha Yachay (Middle Sister)

A living sanctuary for Indigenous ways of knowing and spiritual research. HWSY grounds urban communities in ancestral wisdom, honoring knowledge carried by over 4,000 living and evolving Indigenous languages.

CDRR — Center for Decolonial Reparatory Research (Youngest Sister)

Advancing decolonial reparations research to restore relational integrity beyond land acknowledgement. CDRR provides pathways for honest reckoning, ethical responsibility, and repair with peoples and lands harmed by colonial and extractive capitalist systems worldwide.

Leadership

The Office of the Three Sisters is stewarded by Alana Gamage, Vision Keeper and Ecosystem Tender.