First, the bean. This is a beautiful black bean. It looks different than any of the other black beans in our collection. It is plumb, shiny-matte and deep black when freshly dry, turning a chocolate-brown-black when older (see 2nd photo).
The green pods dry down mid to late September, just in time for our first frost. This bean does push the limits of dry bean cultivation in our Zone 4 gardens — but it is worth it.
The plants are healthy and low maintenance. They are mostly bush plants but do have some taller, climbing vines.
This is a high yielding variety.
Now, the history.
Our research on this bean is a work in progress, but we will share what we have so far.
This bean came to us with the name Mandan Black (our original seed source is Heritage Harvest Seeds, Manitoba).
Black beans were grown by the Mandan and Hidatsa people in North Dakota and the Great Plains for generations. They were called ‘Ama’ca ci’pica’ as described by Maxi’ diwiac (Buffalo Bird Woman) in the book “The Agriculture of the Hidatsa Indians”, published in 1917 by the University of Minnesota. The book was later renamed, and is better known as, ‘Buffalo Bird Woman’s Garden’. You can read it here.
Maxi’ diwiac explains: “There were five varieties of beans in common use in my tribe… These varieties we planted, each by itself; and each kind, again, was kept separate in threshing; also, only beans of the same variety were put in one bag for storing. Black, red, white, shield-figured, spotted, each had a separate bag.”
She also said that the black beans were her favourite: “Of the several varieties, I like to eat black beans best. Especially I like to use black beans in making mä’dạkạpa [pounded dried ripe corn boiled with beans]. However, all the other kinds were good.”
Maxi’ diwiac explained that only the best seeds were chosen for planting:
“In the spring, when I came to plant beans, I was very careful to select seed for the following points: seed should be fully ripe; seed should be of full color; seed should be plump, and of good size.”
“If the red was not a deep red, or the black a deep black, I knew the seed was not fully ripe, and I would reject it. So also of the white, the spotted, and the shield-figured.”
“Did I learn from white men thus to select seed? (Laughing heartily.) No, this custom comes down to us from very old times. We were always taught to select seed thus, in my tribe.”
Although the beans were in common use when Maxi’ diwiac was interviewed at the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota (around 1912), over time they became less common, and today this is a rare bean.
A bit more:
In 1915, Mandan Black beans were donated to Harvard University’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. They were donated by George F Will – son of Oscar Will – founder of the Oscar Will Seed Company (North Dakota). We have included a photo of the donation — you can see the words ‘Mandan Black’ faintly written on the seed package (the link and credit for the photo are below). The beans look very similar to the Mandan Black beans in our collection – in particular the 110-year-old beans in the Peabody collection have the same chocolate-brown-black colouration as our older Mandan Black beans.
What is the connection between the Will family and the Mandan Black beans? Around 1914, the Oscar Will Seed Company introduced several Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara (the Three Affiliated Tribes) seed varieties to the seed trade – including Hidatsa Red beans (also in our collection), the Great Northern Bean (given to Oscar Will by Son of Star, a Hidatsa man living at the Fort Berthold Reservation, North Dakota), the Arikara Squash and several varieties of corn. In his seed catalogues, Oscar Will credited the Indigenous creators of these varieties and praised the virtues of these hardy, resilient, and productive varieties. It is likely that the Mandan Black beans George F Will donated to the Peabody Museum came into his hands, or his father’s hands, through their contacts among the Three Affiliated Tribes.
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At this point, that is all we know about these beans. As we find out more information, we will update this page.
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Photo 3 | Pictured are the Mandan Black beans donated to Harvard University’s Peabody Museum in 1915 by George F. Will (son of Oscar Will — founder of the Oscar Will Seed Company). The link to the image: https://collections.peabody.harvard.edu/objects/details/8075
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How to Plant
Sowing: Plant bean seeds in the spring when the soil warms up. For us that is the end of May/early June. Keep soil moist until seedlings emerge (1 week or so).
Spacing: Space seeds 3 inches or so apart and sow 1 inch or so deep.
Thinning: Thin to 6 inches apart once seedlings are up (3 to 4 inches tall).
How to Pick Dry Beans: Pick beans when the pods are dry on the plant. All of our dry bean varieties have to reliably dry down by around Sept 15 (when we risk getting frost) and this one does. However, if there is a frost threatening and your beans still need time to dry, pick the pods and bring them inside to dry. They are ready as dry beans when the pods are ‘crunchy’ dry. Shell and use.
Within Canada only shipping on beans, thank you.
