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| Witchvox Chapter: Wren's Nest News | Chapter Page Views: 54,944,727 |
 Historic Sites Teach Thanksgiving From A Native American View Author: Bill Van Siclen Source: Providence Journal (RI) Title: HISTORIC SITES TEACH THANKSGIVING FROM A NATIVE AMERICAN VIEW A few weeks ago, Trudie Lamb-Richmond was leading a school group through the Mashantucket Pequot Museum when a question from one of the kids brought her up short. As she often does at this time of year, Richmond was explaining the origins of Thanksgiving from a Native American point of view — how the so-called “First Thanksgiving” was actually part of a much larger cycle of Native American thanksgiving festivals and how roast turkey, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie probably weren’t on the menu. (Instead, the Pilgrims and their Wampanoag dinner guests most likely sat down to a meal of venison served with dried corn and fruit). In fact, a growing number of historic sites and museums now try to incorporate Native American viewpoints in their presentations of Colonial life and culture. And nowhere is that effort more visible — or more prone to moments of cognitive dissonance — than in programs and activities surrounding Thanksgiving. | |
| Community Thoughts: There are 3 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Teaching All Of History Is Important | Nov 6th. at 11:24:33 pm EST |
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nasionnaich (Stanchfield, Minnesota) - Email Me It was the "Pilgrims" who invited the Wampanoag to their Harvest Feast -- not the other way round. Yes, the "Pilgrims" were giving thanks for their survival through the previous year, a survival which would not have been possible were it not for the Wampanoag, but more importantly, they were celebrating the Harvest. It was not a religious "Thanksgiving". Nor was it was the "Thanksgiving" we know today, with smashed 'taters, apple pie, pumpkin pie, etc, etc, but there was apparently a lot of food. The first annually-celebrated "Thanksgiving" was apparently declared by the State of New York (in 1817) , and it was not until 1939 that Franklin Delano Roosevelt set the date as the fourth Thursday of November (approved by Congress in 1941) . The "Pilgrims" did not celebrate a day of Thanksgiving, a purely religious celebration and day of prayer, during that first harvest feast. That had to wait until after the 3-day secular celebration. I recall reading that the first official "thanksgiving" feast (other than that of the "Pilgrims" in 1621) , declared by a governor or mayor of one of the "Colonies", was to celebrate a massacre of the local "Indians". It may have been to mark the so-called "Pequot War". I'm trying to remember exactly where I read it. --nasionnaich p.s., Ahr-Ohn... Your use of the term "Poke-Her Haunches" is offensive to many people -- whether you intended it to be or not. It is like referring to a recent Commanding General of the United States Army as "Petri-Dish" -- something used to grow bacteria and viruses -- instead of his proper name, "Petraeus". |
| Thanksgiving Confusion... | Nov 5th. at 8:50:18 am EST |
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Kindred (Westford, Massachusetts) - Email Me Pocohontas was in Jamestown, not Plimouth (aka Pilgrims) So the first "thanksgiving" was indeed in Massachausetts between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag. The celebration was not really a celebration (for the Pilgrims) so much as the natives inviting the pilgrims to a feast because the pilgrim's harvest was not a good as hoped. The foods likely included venison, fish and lobster as well as root vegetables. Possibly squash (although probably not pumpkin) |
| George Washington? | Nov 4th. at 7:33:59 pm EST |
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Ahr-Ohn (Bridgeport, Connecticut) - Email Me I've heard our Traditional Thanksgiving was originallly ordered by George Washington, to celebrate our Constitution, rather than by a twelve year old named "Poke-Her Haunches." Arawn Graalrd |
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