literature

The Real Story of Thanksgiving

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Before we begin the story let's get a brief of the Indian tribes that play the main roles in this history.

The Wampanoag
The Wampanoag ( People of the First Light ) were different from most Algonquian tribes of the the Northeast. The Wampanoag people weren't the migrational type who move for seasonal rounds of harvest and hunt ( like most Algonquian tribes ), the Wampanoag were a *sedentary people ( *used to being still most of the time ). They were farmers of corn, beans, and squash, and enlarged their diet with fish and game.
Gender roles were also different for the Wampanoag, they sometimes had female chiefs and provided woman with a large voice in political functions.
Men hunted and fought but the woman collected 75% of the of the food ( through harvest )  at the time of European contact. Land rights were also passed down through the mother ( much like the woman in Iroquoian tribes who have a much higher degree in political empowerment than the Algonquian tribal woman )...   

The Mashantucket Pequot
The Mashantucket Pequot ( the Fox People ) have continuously occupied the Mashantucket in Southeastern Connecticut for over 10,00 years. The Pequot are a tribe of the Algonquian family. Like most Algonquian tribes the Pequot built wigwags and other domed like structures. They fished more than they hunted and farmed more than they fished.

First There Was Peaces
The Wampanoag forged a peaceful relationship with the English settlers, under Chief Massasoit.A Patuxet Indian named Tisquantum ( Squanto ), lived with the Wampanoag when that relationship was developed. Massasoit, Squanto, and the other Wampanoag taught the Puritans how to farm, of course farming was widespread in Europe, the climate, topography, and soil condition was completely different in New England. European cereal grasses such as wheat, barely, and oats failed habitually. The Wampanoag showed the English that in order to provide crops they would have to rotate the crops to maintain soil fertility. They also taught the settlers how to survive in the harsh New England climate ( which is much harsher than the climate in England ). with out the instruction and support of the Wampanoag the English would've failed to survive.
  The Wampanoag granted 12,000 acres of land to the English settlers at Plymouth, Massachusetts, by an arranged treaty. This was the first land from the Wampanoag given to the English, although the Indians did not understand the terms of the treaty at the time, the peaceful relationship lasted for years. This treaty includes both parties must not offend each other and must defend and or support each other if any harm is done to them unjustly.
The natives actively traded with the English and lived near them in peace. Many of them converted into Christianity.
  The Wampanoag  held a feast at the end of every fall harvest traditionally.This tradition is not the same as the first "Thanksgiving" story so often taught to American schoolchildren. Although the fanciful version of the first Thanksgiving is often ascribed to the Wampanoag - Puritan experience, archival records fail to support this attributive tale.There is clear evidence of a tribal - white harvest celebration, but this only appears after the Pequot War in 1637, quite the contrary of the fantasy tale (or over exaggerated ) of the Wampanoag efforts to teach the Puritans foe to farm and survive their first winter in 1621.
Ok so I'v been doing some research on my Native american ancestors history, ( even though it annoys the crap out of me .__. ) anyways__ my grandma orders the brand new National Geographic book "Indian Nations Of North America", which delivers "authorized research, and thoughtful analysis" from Native American authors and scholars, advise from tribes and museums through out the country, and the expertise of the national geographic it's self.
This must be one of the best books on Native history on the market right now.Funny thing is one of the first articles I read was the mythes about "Thanksgiving". So I thought, "Ya know what, people should really read this and get the reall history of this "holiday" they be celebrating every year and never really knowing the real depths of what it is they're celebrating."

I not only used this book but also checked out some native museum websites and other varies native sites to help me put this piece of literature together, and if you ask me I think history books need to be rewritten :D

And don't worry I got one for "Christmas" and "Santa claus" too :P

Prt 2 here [link]
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28118's avatar

What about the violence that happened between both sides?