TRUE THANKSGIVING A Day of Mourning: Roy Cook, Editor
aisource@nethere.com
To understand an American Indian perspective on Thanksgiving, you need
some information and some new viewpoints.
Most children know that Native Americans helped the Pilgrims and were
invited to the first Thanksgiving feast. But most children do not know
the following facts, which explain why many American Indians today call
Thanksgiving a "Day of Mourning".
Before the Pilgrims arrived Plymouth had been the site of a Pawtuxet
village which was wiped out by a plague (introduced by English
explorers) five years before the Pilgrims landed. The nearest other
people were the Wampanoag, whose lands stretched from present day
Narragansett Bay to Cape Cod. Like most other peoples in the area, the
Wampanoag were farmers and hunters.
These Native peoples had met Europeans before the Pilgrims arrived. One
such European was Captain Thomas Hunt, who started trading with the
Native people in 1614. He captured 20 Pawtuxcts and seven Nausets,
selling them as slaves in Spain. Many other European expeditions also
lured Native people onto ships and then imprisoned and enslaved them.
These expeditions carried smallpox, typhus, measles and other European
diseases to this continent. Native people had no immunity and some
groups were totally wiped out while others were severely decimated. An
estimated 72,000 to 90,000 people lived in southern New England before
contact with Europeans. One hundred years later, their numbers were
reduced by 80%. It was Captain Hunt's expedition that brought the
plague, which destroyed the Pawtnxet. In this same time frame, but much
better known, is Capt. John Smith. He was one who participated in this
area's bounty, although he would have much preferred to find gold. Capt.
John Smith, has been immortalized for his part in founding Virginia. In
1614 Smith explored part of the North American coast-to which he gave
the name New England. Disappointed in his search gold, he set his men to
fishing for cod while he went exploring in the ship's pinnace, mapping
the coastline from Maine to the cape that was named for the fish.
Smith's map and description of New England and his profits from cod
fishing encouraged the Pilgrims to seek a charter from the Crown to
settle there. Indeed it was the cod that saved the first New Englanders.
In 1640, only eleven years after Massachusetts Bay Company had been by
the Puritans, it exported three hundred thousand cod to Europe. Cod was
soon also being traded to the West Indies, in exchange for rum and
molasses. In addition, plowing in the cod waste greatly increased the
agricultural productivity of the stony New England soil. The cod proved
a basis of prosperity for New England so considerable that Adam Smith
singled it out for praise in his Wealth of Nations. To this day, a
wooden sculpture of a cod adorns the Massachusetts Statehouse to remind
the legislators of the source of their state's greatness.
After the Pilgrims arrived they spent four days exploring Cape Cod. They
found that Native people buried their dead with stores of corn beans.
The Pilgrims dug up many graves, taking the food. To the native people
who had observed these actions, it was a serious desecration and insult
to their dead. The angry Wampanoags attacked with a small group, but
were frightened off with gunfire. When the Pilgrims had settled in and
were working in the fields, they saw a group of Native people
approaching. Running away to get their guns, the Pilgrims left their
tools behind and the Native people took them. Not long after, in
February of 1621, Samoset, a leader of the Wabnaki peoples, walked into
the village saying "Welcome," in English. Samoset was from Maine, where
he had met English fishing boats and according to some accounts was
taken prisoner to England, finally managing to return to the Plymouth
area, six months before the Pilgrims arrived. Samoset told the Pilgrims
about all the Native nations in the area and about the Wampanoag people
and their leader. Massasoit. He also told of the experience of the
Pawtuxet and Nauset people with Europeans. Samoset spoke about a friend
of his called Tisquantum (Squanto), who also spoke English. Samoset
left, promising the Pilgrims he would arrange for a return of their
tools.
Samoset returned with 60 Native people including Massasoit and
Tisquantum. Edward Winslow, a Pilgrim, went to present them with gifts
and to make a speech saying that King James wished to make an alliance
with Massasoit. (This was not true.) Massasbit signed a treaty, which
was heavily slanted in favor of the Pilgrims. The treaty said that no
Native person would harm a white settler or, should they do so, they
would be surrendered to them for punishment. Wampanoags visiting the
settlements were to go unarmed; the Wampanoags and the non-Indians
agreed to help one another in case of attack; and Massasoit agreed to
notify all the neighboring nations about the treaty. The key figure in
the treaty talks and in later encounters was Tisquantum. He was Pawtuxet
who had been kidnapped and taken to England in 1605. He managed to
return to New England, only to be captured by Captain Hunt and sold into
slavery in Spain. He escaped and returning to this continent, met
Samoset upon a ship.
some of whom had survived the disease. Tiquantum remained with the
Pilgrims for the rest of his life and was in large part responsible for
their survival. The Pilgrims were mainly artisans, and Tisquantum taught
them when and how to plant and fertilize corn and other crops. He taught
them where the best fish were and how to catch them in traps, and many
other survival skills. Governor Bradford called Tisquantum "a special
instrument sent of God" The Native nations along the eastern seaboard
practiced (and some still participate in these traditions) some type of
harvest feast and ceremony. The Wampanoag feast, called
Nikkomosachmiawene, or Grand Sachem's Council Feast, is marked by
traditional food and games, telling of stories and legends, sacred
ceremonies and councils on the affairs of the nation. It was because of
this feast in 1621 that the Wampanoags had amassed the food to help the
Pilgrims, creating a new tradition European tradition known today as
"Thanksgiving Day," it lasted three days. Massasoit came with 90 men and
brought five deer as well as other food, all 55, only five were women.
Massasoit, who had done so much to help the Pilgrims, had a son named
Metacomet. As time went on and more Europeans arrived and took more
land, Metacomet or Prince Phillip as he came to known and other tribal
people began to take notice of self-serving ethics of the Pilgrims. But,
that is yet another story.
aisource@nethere.com
To understand an American Indian perspective on Thanksgiving, you need
some information and some new viewpoints.
Most children know that Native Americans helped the Pilgrims and were
invited to the first Thanksgiving feast. But most children do not know
the following facts, which explain why many American Indians today call
Thanksgiving a "Day of Mourning".
Before the Pilgrims arrived Plymouth had been the site of a Pawtuxet
village which was wiped out by a plague (introduced by English
explorers) five years before the Pilgrims landed. The nearest other
people were the Wampanoag, whose lands stretched from present day
Narragansett Bay to Cape Cod. Like most other peoples in the area, the
Wampanoag were farmers and hunters.
These Native peoples had met Europeans before the Pilgrims arrived. One
such European was Captain Thomas Hunt, who started trading with the
Native people in 1614. He captured 20 Pawtuxcts and seven Nausets,
selling them as slaves in Spain. Many other European expeditions also
lured Native people onto ships and then imprisoned and enslaved them.
These expeditions carried smallpox, typhus, measles and other European
diseases to this continent. Native people had no immunity and some
groups were totally wiped out while others were severely decimated. An
estimated 72,000 to 90,000 people lived in southern New England before
contact with Europeans. One hundred years later, their numbers were
reduced by 80%. It was Captain Hunt's expedition that brought the
plague, which destroyed the Pawtnxet. In this same time frame, but much
better known, is Capt. John Smith. He was one who participated in this
area's bounty, although he would have much preferred to find gold. Capt.
John Smith, has been immortalized for his part in founding Virginia. In
1614 Smith explored part of the North American coast-to which he gave
the name New England. Disappointed in his search gold, he set his men to
fishing for cod while he went exploring in the ship's pinnace, mapping
the coastline from Maine to the cape that was named for the fish.
Smith's map and description of New England and his profits from cod
fishing encouraged the Pilgrims to seek a charter from the Crown to
settle there. Indeed it was the cod that saved the first New Englanders.
In 1640, only eleven years after Massachusetts Bay Company had been by
the Puritans, it exported three hundred thousand cod to Europe. Cod was
soon also being traded to the West Indies, in exchange for rum and
molasses. In addition, plowing in the cod waste greatly increased the
agricultural productivity of the stony New England soil. The cod proved
a basis of prosperity for New England so considerable that Adam Smith
singled it out for praise in his Wealth of Nations. To this day, a
wooden sculpture of a cod adorns the Massachusetts Statehouse to remind
the legislators of the source of their state's greatness.
After the Pilgrims arrived they spent four days exploring Cape Cod. They
found that Native people buried their dead with stores of corn beans.
The Pilgrims dug up many graves, taking the food. To the native people
who had observed these actions, it was a serious desecration and insult
to their dead. The angry Wampanoags attacked with a small group, but
were frightened off with gunfire. When the Pilgrims had settled in and
were working in the fields, they saw a group of Native people
approaching. Running away to get their guns, the Pilgrims left their
tools behind and the Native people took them. Not long after, in
February of 1621, Samoset, a leader of the Wabnaki peoples, walked into
the village saying "Welcome," in English. Samoset was from Maine, where
he had met English fishing boats and according to some accounts was
taken prisoner to England, finally managing to return to the Plymouth
area, six months before the Pilgrims arrived. Samoset told the Pilgrims
about all the Native nations in the area and about the Wampanoag people
and their leader. Massasoit. He also told of the experience of the
Pawtuxet and Nauset people with Europeans. Samoset spoke about a friend
of his called Tisquantum (Squanto), who also spoke English. Samoset
left, promising the Pilgrims he would arrange for a return of their
tools.
Samoset returned with 60 Native people including Massasoit and
Tisquantum. Edward Winslow, a Pilgrim, went to present them with gifts
and to make a speech saying that King James wished to make an alliance
with Massasoit. (This was not true.) Massasbit signed a treaty, which
was heavily slanted in favor of the Pilgrims. The treaty said that no
Native person would harm a white settler or, should they do so, they
would be surrendered to them for punishment. Wampanoags visiting the
settlements were to go unarmed; the Wampanoags and the non-Indians
agreed to help one another in case of attack; and Massasoit agreed to
notify all the neighboring nations about the treaty. The key figure in
the treaty talks and in later encounters was Tisquantum. He was Pawtuxet
who had been kidnapped and taken to England in 1605. He managed to
return to New England, only to be captured by Captain Hunt and sold into
slavery in Spain. He escaped and returning to this continent, met
Samoset upon a ship.
some of whom had survived the disease. Tiquantum remained with the
Pilgrims for the rest of his life and was in large part responsible for
their survival. The Pilgrims were mainly artisans, and Tisquantum taught
them when and how to plant and fertilize corn and other crops. He taught
them where the best fish were and how to catch them in traps, and many
other survival skills. Governor Bradford called Tisquantum "a special
instrument sent of God" The Native nations along the eastern seaboard
practiced (and some still participate in these traditions) some type of
harvest feast and ceremony. The Wampanoag feast, called
Nikkomosachmiawene, or Grand Sachem's Council Feast, is marked by
traditional food and games, telling of stories and legends, sacred
ceremonies and councils on the affairs of the nation. It was because of
this feast in 1621 that the Wampanoags had amassed the food to help the
Pilgrims, creating a new tradition European tradition known today as
"Thanksgiving Day," it lasted three days. Massasoit came with 90 men and
brought five deer as well as other food, all 55, only five were women.
Massasoit, who had done so much to help the Pilgrims, had a son named
Metacomet. As time went on and more Europeans arrived and took more
land, Metacomet or Prince Phillip as he came to known and other tribal
people began to take notice of self-serving ethics of the Pilgrims. But,
that is yet another story.
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