A More Accurate Historical Thanksgiving -What Are You Celebrating?

A More Accurate Historical Thanksgiving -What Are You Celebrating?

Like most of our history, it comes from miss-history and the fact that most people think of the Pilgrims as these “incredibly righteous people” who invited the “savage Indians” to their first Thanksgiving so that the “savages” would not starve.  This is incorrect history and information.

In the annals of our past, misconceptions often cloud historical events, and one such instance is the narrative surrounding Thanksgiving. For years, the prevailing notion has revolved around the image of righteous Pilgrims extending a hand to the ‘savage Indians' during the inaugural Thanksgiving feast. Yet, this perception is steeped in inaccuracy and misinformation.

Here is a more accurate historical Thanksgiving account.

Where did this National holiday come from?

Well, it is not what you think and definitely not what you were taught in school. 

Thanksgiving—a day of gratitude, a sentiment that deserves daily acknowledgment. But, do you know its true origins? The wellspring of this national holiday is not as straightforward as it seems, defying the conventional narrative taught in schools.

Many scholars give credit to the Americans, but many cultures and countries had “national days of giving thanks” long before the United States established such a day.

Thanksgiving Dinner

With that being the case, why do we think of the Pilgrims and Plymouth, Massachusetts for the national holiday of Thanksgiving?

What is the real history behind Thanksgiving?

Long before any Europeans came to the New World, Native Americans had many feasts and celebrations of thanks.

Although the United States is often credited with establishing Thanksgiving, many cultures and nations had long-standing traditions of Thanksgiving days before its conception. This raises a question: Why has the association of Thanksgiving become deeply entrenched with the Pilgrims and Plymouth, Massachusetts?

Although the Pilgrims were searching for some religious freedom from the British Crown, they were really nothing more than English Colonists.  They came for many other reasons also but regardless of what those reasons may have been, they were still loyal subjects to the British Crown.

Contrary to the popular notion, the Pilgrims did not immediately establish their settlement. The harshness of the environment prevented them from settling at the original landing site. Moreover, the Pilgrims weren't the first Europeans to set foot on New England's shores. In 1605, Captain George Weymouth's British expedition had already left its mark, leaving disease and devastation in its wake.

In 1620, the Mayflower set sail, carrying religious dissidents known as the Puritans to the Americas. Landing in Massachusetts due to depleted beer supplies and the need for safe drinking water, they established the Plymouth Plantation, which stands atop the remnants of the Native village of Pawtuxet—a village previously ravaged by British expeditions.

Unfortunately, the Puritans ran out of beer and needed to make land as quickly as possible. Beer was used more often than water on the high seas since water on a ship could not be kept drinking safe. Thus they landed in December of 1620 on the shores of what is now Massachusetts.

Fast forward to 1621. Tisquantum, a Native who had been taken to Europe and returned, and Samoset, another Native, encountered the Pilgrims. These ‘savages' could communicate with the newcomers, and Tisquantum's assistance proved pivotal for their survival. Together, they negotiated a treaty with the Wampanoag People.

The 102 Puritans landed and built their colony called The Plymouth Plantation on the ruins of the Native village of Pawtuxet.  Pawtuxet had been destroyed by the Weymouth expedition. The Puritans survived by stealing the food stores of neighboring Native Summer Villages as well as eating corn that was still growing wild from abandoned cornfields near the ruined village.

Strangely enough, Tisquantum, who had survived his trips to Europe, happened to come upon these Puritans while hunting with another Native named Samoset.  They observed the newcomers and finally one day Tisquantum send Samoset over to greet the Puritans with the word “Welcome.”

Tisquantum soon joined and the Puritans were surprised to find two “savages” that spoke their language. The Puritans were terrible at survival, but with the help of Tisquantum they were able to harvest some late corn and learned to catch some game. Tisquantum also helped the colonists negotiate a treaty with the Wampanoag People near by who were led by Massasoit.

Still many of the Puritans quickly succumbed to pneumonia and consumption. It was a hard winter and some 46 of the original 102 Mayflower people died.

What really happened in 1621?

The harsh winter of 1620 took a heavy toll, claiming the lives of many Pilgrims. But 1621 saw a turning point. Assisted by the Wampanoag, the Pilgrims reaped a bountiful harvest, leading Governor William Bradford to declare a three-day feast—a gesture not extended to all the Natives who played a crucial role.

However, this amicable tone did not persist. The subsequent years revealed the Pilgrims' preoccupation with their dominance over the Native People. This attitude, coupled with various societal issues, set the stage for a complex history.

The next year, in 1621, with the help of the Wampanoag People, the Puritans learned how to live and make a bountiful harvest. In celebration of their good fall harvest, the colony’s governor, William Bradford, declared a three-day feast after the harvest.

The Natives that attended this feast were not even invited.

The Puritans had only invited Massasoit the Wampanoag leader. It was Massasoit that brought the other 90 or more of his Native brothers and sisters that saved the colony to the chagrin of the rather rude and indignant Puritans. The Natives also provided most of the food.

There were no prayers of thanksgiving of any kind and the Natives were not invited back ever again for any other such events.

The following years the Puritans became pre-occupied with themselves and their superiority over the Native People. This along with spiritual pride, jealousy, envy, greed, bad relationships (adultery was rampant – remember the Scarlet Letter) and other sins, caused the Puritans to lack.

Now at this moment, most scholars write that the drought of 1623 was the cause for much of this. While the drought was hard, it was not an excuse for the many un-righteous things the Puritans were doing.

The peace settlement between this first colony of Puritans and the Wampanoag People meant that the Puritans were to have 15 years to establish a firm colony. By 1629 there were no more than 300 Puritans in present day New England in small and isolated communities.

This survival prompted a wave of Puritans that soon established growing settlements north of Plymouth in Boston and Salem. Over the next 10 years the wave of Puritans greatly increased.

Soon the Puritans begin to discuss “…the legal ownership of the land.” At this time Governor John Winthrop declared the “Indians had not subdued the land” and therefore all uncultivated land should be public domain according to English Common Law.

In other words this meant that the land belonged to the King of England. Thus the colonists decided that they did not need to consult with the Natives and that the land was theirs for the taking. As far as they were concerned they only had to inform the representative of the crown and that was the local governor.

To Biblically defend the force taking of the land from the Native People, the Puritans embraced Psalms 2:8 “Ask of me and I shall give thee the heather for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.” This forced taking of the land included murder.

A company of Puritans led by Miles Standish actively sought out the head of a local chief. They eventually accomplished this gruesome trophy when they beheaded the Native Leader Wituwamat. The head was displayed on a wooded post in the Town Square of Plymouth.

 

On May 26, 1637 a force of Puritans attacked about 700 Pequot People near the mouth of the Mystic River at Groton, Connecticut.  The Pequots had gathered for their Annual Green Corn Dance.  During the gathering they were surrounded and attacked by the English and the Dutch.  The Natives were ordered from the Gathering Building and as they came forth they were shot down and cut up.  The rest were burned alive in the building.

The English Captain John Mason and Commander John Underhill attacked the camp with the words

“…fire, sword, blunderbuss, and tomahawk….” They also added that “…to see them {Indians} frying in the fire, and the streams of their blood quenching the same and the stench was horrible, but the victory seemed a sweet sacrifice to the great delight to the Pilgrims and they gave praise thereof to God.” The next day, the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony declared: “A day of Thanksgiving, thanking God that they had eliminated over 700 men, women and children.”

A second Pequot Village was attacked, massacred and destroyed on June 5, 1637 near present-day Stonington and a third Pequot Village was attacked, massacred and destroyed on July 28, 1637 near present day Fairfield.

A 1925 recreation of Brownscombe's earlier 1914 painting of the First Thanksgiving at Plymouth, significant in that it omits the Plains Indian headdresses that were criticized as non-historically accurate in her 1914 version.

The Puritan fathers believed they were the Chosen People of God and that this justified anything that they did. They were in a sense Calvinists that believed most of humanity was predestined to damnation.

During this period of their history the Puritans along with other European sects declared days of thanksgiving to celebrate mass murder more than to celebrate harvest.  In fact for the next 100 years every “Thanksgiving Day” ordained by any leader (Governor, etc.) was to honor the gruesome “victories” of 1637 and thanking God that the “battles” had been won.

Learning from the Puritans, in 1641 the Dutch began to offer scalp money for Natives. The Dutch Governor Willem Kieft of Manhattan paid money for the scalps of each Native brought to him. In 1643 Governor Kieft ordered the massacre of the Wappinger People.

In this massacre, 80 Native People were killed and their severed heads were kicked around the streets of the village of Manhattan. One Native was castrated, skinned, and then forced to eat his own flesh while many colonist watched and laughed. Later, Kieft got Commander Underhill to carry out a massacre near present day Stamford, Connecticut. A village was set on fire and around 500 Natives were put to the sword.

Soon the settlers launched an all out genocide of the Native People. The government of Massachusetts made an order offering 29 shillings bounty for every Native scalp and 40 shillings for every Native prisoner that could be sold into slavery. Colonial men were allowed to enslave and rape any Native woman and enslave any Native child under what was thought to be the age of 14.

Any Native People that had converted to Christianity were accused of shooting into the trees during battles with the hostiles and were therefore enslaved or killed. Other peaceful Natives of Dartmouth and Dover were invited to a negotiating meeting in which they were taken captive and sold into slavery. Colonial Law gave permission to “…kill savage Indians on sight at will.”

By 1675 Massachusetts and surrounding colonies were in an all out war with the Wampanoag People. The Wampanoag leader Metacomet (called King Phillip by the white man) grew angrier as he watched the steady destruction of his culture and his people. He was forced to strike out with raids on several isolated towns for food.

Captain Benjamin Church tracked down and killed Metacomet. His body was drawn and quartered and the parts as Captain Church said were “…left for the wolves.” Metacomet’s hands were cut off and sent to Boston for display and his head was sent to Plymouth where it was set upon a poke on the newly declared Thanksgiving Day of 1675. Metacomet’s son was to be killed because the Puritans proclaimed that “…the offspring of the Devil must pay for the sins of their father.”

Instead, he was sold to a slave ship bound for the Caribbean.

On June 20, 1676 the Puritans governing council held a meeting to determine of a way to in their own words; “…express thanks for the victories in War with the Heathen Natives….”

And from that moment they proclaimed June 29 as a Day of Thanksgiving.  The celebration over the “heathen Indians” became a major event and was celebrated semi-annually among the New Englanders and the early colonies for many, many years to come.

That proclamation is reproduced here in the same language and spelling as the original:

June 20, 1676:

 

“The Holy God having by a long and Continual Series of his Afflictive dispensations in and by the present Warr with the Heathen Natives of this land, written and brought to pass bitter things against his own Covenant people in this wilderness, yet so that we evidently discern that in the midst of his judgements he hath remembered mercy, having remembered his Footstool in the day of his sore displeasure against us for our sins, with many singular Intimations of his Fatherly Compassion, and regard; reserving many of our Towns from Desolation Threatened, and attempted by the Enemy, and giving us especially of late with many of our Confederates many signal Advantages against them, without such Disadvantage to ourselves as formerly we have been sensible of, if it be the Lord's mercy that we are not consumed, It certainly bespeaks our positive Thankfulness, when our Enemies are in any measure disappointed or destroyed; and fearing the Lord should take notice under so many Intimations of his returning mercy, we should be found an Insensible people, as not standing before Him with Thanksgiving, as well as lading him with our Complaints in the time of pressing Afflictions:

The Council has thought meet to appoint and set apart the 29th day of this instant June, as a day of Solemn Thanksgiving and praise to God for such his Goodness and Favour, many Particulars of which mercy might be Instanced, but we doubt not those who are sensible of God's Afflictions, have been as diligent to espy him returning to us; and that the Lord may behold us as a People offering Praise and thereby glorifying Him; the Council doth commend it to the Respective Ministers, Elders and people of this Jurisdiction; Solemnly and seriously to keep the same Beseeching that being perswaded by the mercies of God we may all, even this whole people offer up our bodies and soulds as a living and acceptable Service unto God by Jesus Christ.”

By 1704 the massive Holocaust and Genocide of the Native People caused Governor Thomas Dudley to declare a “General Thanksgiving for God’s infinite goodness to extend his favors… In defeating and disappointing… the expeditions of the Enemy Indians against us. And the good Success given us against them, by delivering so many of them into our hands….”

When did Thanksgiving become a National holiday?

Now the holiday that most Americans celebrate has nothing to do with the Puritans or the Native Americans.  The holiday most are acquainted with came about during the American Revolution for Independence when in 1777 things looked bleak for the American “Rebels” against the British Crown.

Photo by Kaboompics .com from Pexels

General George Washington sent out a plea to all that “…supported the cause of Freedom…” for a day of prayer and thanksgiving.  Later as President, Washington Proclaimed a Day of Thanksgiving on October 3, 1789 to be observed by all on November 26, 1789.  Not all the new states agreed and not all observed such a day.

While subsequent Presidents and most Americans did not continue the tradition, it was Washington’s proclamation that spurred and guided the 16th President Abraham Lincoln to make a Proclamation of a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1863.  This was a plea to all Americans to have a day of prayer and thanksgiving during the bleak and trying time of our American Civil War.

Lincoln copied Washington and made the proclamation on the same day of October 3 and for the observation of the holiday to be the same as Washington had for Thursday, November 26.

After this, the holiday was proclaimed by every president since Lincoln and observed on the last Thursday of November.  The date has changed a few times with the most recent change done by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939.  At the request of many businesses, Roosevelt moved the Thanksgiving Holiday to the 3rd Thursday of November to make for a longer Christmas shopping season.

This change created a huge public out roar and finally in 1941 Congress made the 4th Thursday of November a legal holiday and our National Day of Thanks.

CONCLUSION

So, as we embrace the fourth Thursday of November as a day of gratitude, let's be mindful of the multifaceted history that has shaped this holiday. Acknowledging the Native Americans' role, while dispelling misconceptions, allows us to truly appreciate the origins of Thanksgiving.

Should you decide to celebrate this holiday on the fourth Thursday of November, please remember the Native Americans.  Weather you be a teacher or a parent or both be very careful not to “sugar coat” what the Pilgrims did and how they treated the Native Americans, not even to the youngest age.

Please avoid stereotypic Thanksgiving pictures, stories, and programs that depict inaccurate images that are unfair and degrading.  By all means do not have children or adults make “Indian headbands, Indian vests”, do ceremonial war dances or such inappropriate things.  Also do not put on “Pilgrim and Indian” pageants or plays (unless they are historically accurate and tell the story from the true perspectives of Native Americans as well as the European immigrants).

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum: Springfield, Illinois.

Bradford, William & Edward Winslow. 1622. Mourt’s Relation: A Journal of Pilgrims at Plymouth.  London.

Brandford, William.  1854.  Of Plymouth Plantation.  Written 1630-1654, 1st Published Boston.

Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum: Hyde Park, New York

Gehring, Charles T., Ed.  1983.  Council Minutes, 1652-1654.  Baltimore: New York Historical Manuscripts Series.

Gehring, Charles T., Ed.  1995.  Council Minutes, 1655-1656.  Syracuse: New Netherland Documents Series.

Gehring, Charles T., Ed.  1977.  Delaware Papers, English Period, 1664-1682. Baltimore: New York Historical Manuscripts Series.

Gehring, Charles T., Ed.  1980. Land Papers, 1630-1664. Baltimore: New York Historical Manuscripts Series.

Gorges, Sir Ferdinando.  1622.  A Brief Relation of the Discovery and Plantation of New England.  London.

Gorges, Sir Ferdinando.  1658.  A Brief Narration of the Originall Undertakings of the Advancement of Plantations Into the Parts of America.  London.

Johnson, William.  1927.  Johnson Papers, Vol. V.  Albany.

Johnson, William.  1957.  Johnson Papers, Vol. XII. Albany.

Pory, John.  1622.  A Description of Plymouth.  London.

Pratt, Phineas.  1662.  A Court Deposition from Plymouth Colony.  London.

Rosier, James.  1605.  A True Relation of the Most Prosperous Voyage Made this Present Year 1605 by Caption George Weymouth.  London.

Smith, Captain John.  1614.  A Description of New England.  London.

Smith, Captain John.  1624.  The Generall Historie of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles.  London.

Winslow, Edward.  1624.  Good News from New England.  London.


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Last Updated on November 20, 2023 by Paul G

About Jamie K Oxendine

Jamie K. Oxendine, of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, is the Native American Liaison and Education Consultant for Ohio University in Athens. Ohio. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Toledo teaching “Indians of North America” and at Lourdes University teaching “Native American Culture” for the Lifelong Learning Center. A frequent speaker on Native American topics, he serves as the director of the Black Swamp InterTribal Foundation in Ohio. As a recording artist, he was three times been nominated for a NAMMY (Native American Music Award).


39 Comments on “A More Accurate Historical Thanksgiving -What Are You Celebrating?”

  • Avatar for Tom Guajardo

    Tom Guajardo

    says:

    Native Americans did not believe that one could own the land, anymore than they could own the sky. It was Europeans that brought that concept to The Americas. There was already an established democracy among the five tribes in what would become New England. If you look at the first two European settlements, Roanoke and Plymouth, they were dismal failures. The fact that the latter survived can be attributed to Native Americans who assisted them. Who were the real savages?

  • Avatar for norbert paul schott

    norbert paul schott

    says:

    thanks for the truth. at next POWWOW i shall ask grandfather WATANKA for forgiveness how self-righteous whites treated the Native Americans.
    bless us O great Spirit with truth

  • Avatar for Gail

    Gail

    says:

    My Father was a WWll Veteran. He never spoke about it. He only asked one question. ” How do we change ourselves? “. After reading this article I have to ask that same question. Each of us has to dig deep and take responsibility for our behavior towards each other every moment. If we all have the capacity for great evil we also have the capacity for great good. Its OUR choice! All of LIFE is so very precious. Its OUR choice!

  • Avatar for Sharona

    Sharona

    says:

    From generation to generation this must be told! We all here live in a different era of time where the truth is the only thing that matters so why should we ALL, no matter the race want our children continue to live in fairy tales that soothe the mind. This country isn’t called the “sleeping giant” for nothing. Those who are the “Gatekeepers of Truth” have a duty to teach it to this generation. Inscribe it in the memory of your children so it is imparted in their hearts. Tell them that they now “know “and it is up to them to guard the truth and impart it to “their” children. Bring back the elders to their rightful place to teach the young. Many still live in ignorance in our day and time but many more are awakening to a new earth and are looking for those with wisdom, those who have guarded and protected Mother Earth, wise in all understanding. Not found in religion but the true source of all that we came from, that source from which our fore-Fathers and Mothers who cared for this land long before it was raped and savaged by ignorant peoples, “know”.

  • Avatar for Lisa Martin

    Lisa Martin

    says:

    I cannot thank you enough for reposting this eye opening article. I am sickened by this and how we as children were taught lies in school and how our country is still perpetuating this disgusting story to try and make the first settlers look like they were good people.

  • Avatar for BEATA SKROBAŃ

    BEATA SKROBAŃ

    says:

    It is a pity they do not teach that at school| Most people are only interested in having good time with family and friends, eating some good food on that day…They do not care about the origin of this holiday.

  • Avatar for Topstitch

    Topstitch

    says:

    Because of the Native American side in our family, we were told that what we were taught about Thanksgiving in our history classes in school was not the truth. But we were not told by our elders how disgusting it was. I am sure some of it was left out because of our ages. After reading this article, it breaks my heart how the indigenous people were treated. It was appalling! Especially after the Indian peoples helped the European people learn how to survive. What a pay back. The one interest fact I found was the bounty placed on the scalps of the Indians. I remember of trying to tell people that it wasn’t the Natives who started this practice, but very few people believed me because that is the way it is shown in the movies. The Indians eventually did practice scalping, but it was not something that originated with them. Thank-you for the eye opening account of history.

    • Avatar for Pam Casada

      Great to finally here the truth May the spirits be with you

  • Avatar for Phillip Chase Clark

    Phillip Chase Clark

    says:

    This is one horrific example of the true nature of history as we know it.
    The scariest part is that most people show no real drive to divide fact from fiction; history and the sciences that seek to paint it are simply things to endure in school and promptly be forgotten or mutated into creatures of willfully ignorance and the tragic repetition of the past.
    For all Native American descendents reading this, I can not apologize for actions that are not my own in earnest, but I can show reverence for fact…and I vow that I will force feed the facts of this disgusting lie to everyone near me.

  • Avatar for Sylvia (a mexica woman)

    it is nothing short of a miracle that the First people’s are alive and well & on their way to getting that justice that has been along time in coming……hang in their my brothers and sisters……….just remember “what goes around comes around !”………and I believe with all my heart and soul that GOD will see that justice is done ✅

    • Avatar for Doris Moravetz

      The so called Puritans, were very hard on their own kind/I’ll, and total savages to Indians& any one who did not confirm to their way of thinking. They were a disgrace before God!!

  • Avatar for Samuel Baney

    Samuel Baney

    says:

    As a Christian myself, I feel nothing but shame and revulsion when I read the account of how Native peoples were treated, and the way that imperialism and greed were couched behind deceitful spiritual language. I have heard this true account many times, and it never fails to bring tears to my eyes.

  • Avatar for Running Doe

    Every thing was taught wrong in those history books, our natives we were always there first, and all the things we had to go thru, some of our natives dont have Thanksgvivng, they will have feast for our ways, but not the yonka ways, because of what really happened, and was never told for long while, i went to a elem. school i talked to third graders, about this and they were like shocked, but then thier ways of our natives changed in thier eyes, they were very proud to hear the real story, wado cherokee

  • Avatar for kirk dowen

    kirk dowen

    says:

    Wrong

    • Avatar for candy garcia

      That was such wonderful way to give thanks in this world today.

  • Avatar for Marce

    Marce

    says:

    In the 1950s and 1960s in Florida, we were taught that the Native peoples of the area took pity on the starving “Pilgrims” and shared food and knowledge of the area to help them survive. Their survival was what they were supposed to be celebrating, not genocide. This just totally disgusts me. For my honeymoon my husband (he was Irish/Scottish) and I went to St. Augustine and I was horrified at how the tribes were housed and treated there, caged in stone rooms they couldn’t even stand up in like they were animals being housed for slaughter.

    My father was Irish and Cheyenne and my adoptive mother was Cherokee, German and Irish. They, like me were raised with lies and half-truths. My daughter found this and showed it to me. The atrocities have not stopped! We must push our Pres and Pres elect to put a stop to what is NOW going on at Standing Rock! How can I, my daughter, and my grandson (who is also Blackfoot, Irish, and German by his father) look at ourselves in the mirror or have any self-respect if we calmly sit down to “Thanksgiving Dinner” knowing what is happening even while we eat? Thank you so very much for publishing this and for all the people who have commented before me.

    • Avatar for Doris Moravetz

      The so called Puritans, were very hard on their own kind/Ilk, and total savages to Indians& any one who did not confirm to their way of thinking. They were a disgrace before God!!

  • Avatar for Vicki

    Vicki

    says:

    Being Cherokee has been a great source of pride my entire life, even when, as a child in the 60’s, it was not popular to admit to such a heritage. But, since my dad is full blood and I am half, it would have been impossible to deny. I remember in middle school in the 70’s in our social studies class telling the truth about what really happened when the first European settlers came. My teacher shushed me and quickly repeated the traditional Pilgrim story. But there were several other Native children, from several different tribes (we lived in Indian country in Oklahoma) and they followed my lead and began to tell the history they had been taught at home. We were kicked out of class and sent to the office for being a “disruption”. When I had children of my own, they were taught the truth, and that is now being passed down to my grandkids.We gather at Thanksgiving with family every year and give thanks for the many blessings we have. There is no mention of Pilgrims or the early settlers.

  • Avatar for CeCe

    CeCe

    says:

    I am truly disgusted!!!! My mother is black foot indian (Native American) and to hear how natives were treated, brutalized, murdered and enslaved is disgusting! All I can do is shake my head with a look of distress and disgust! !!..& what took the cake was they did this in the name of god! little “god” the devil is whom they killed in the name of NOT”God” in Heaven! Hope they are burning!!!

  • Avatar for Alyssandra Schwind

    Alyssandra Schwind

    says:

    I really enjoyed reading this. Last fall I took a business class, and it briefly talked about the true meaning of Thanksgiving and what events actually occurred that day. It amazed me then as it still amazes me now that what I was taught growing up was far from the truth. I do not understand why in grade school or even high school that we are taught a sugar-coated/far from the truth story of Thanksgiving. It makes me sad that people who are my ancestors did such a cruel act unto to the Natives. Maybe people nowadays are ashamed of what our ancestors did and that is why we do not learn about it. Perhaps they want to pretend like it never happened.

  • Avatar for Deb E. Dee

    Deb E. Dee

    says:

    i am a child of both indigenous and European cultures. Thanks for publishing this very enlightening expose. as painful as it is to read, I would rather know the Truth. My family celebrates with gratitude the fall harvest, not on the governmentally appointed day We call it “Thank the Native Americans Day” and are doing all we can to recover out broken past and family and tribal traditions long ground under the boot of European oppression. We are discovering the members of our family that were long hidden from us, such as my great grandmother, who was Blackfoot, and my grandchildren’s Carib and Maroon ancestors. It is both a joyful and heart-rending process. Many facts are yet to be discovered. i am now researching the Cherokee part of the family on my maternal grandmothers side, and encouraging my children to connect with their Comanche tribe. I am proud of both sides of my family for different reasons, and cannot condemn those who were forced for whatever reason not to disclose their Native heritage, but bringing what has been hidden to light is a great thing, and i am finally comfortable in my own skin, because i had been missing so much! I now have a family history and some beautiful traditions to pass on to my grandchildren.

  • Avatar for Jennifer

    Jennifer

    says:

    Thank you Mr. Oxendine for this article. I try to learn more everyday about the Native American culture. I knew that the people who came into this country were very cruel, but I had not gotten the full picture. While I know that many events of the past were gruesome, this drove it home for me. Thank you for this and for all that you do for the Native culture. Knowledge truly is power.
    While I will be sure to take every opportunity to express my thankfulness for the blessings that I have, I will also remember the horrors that have been heaved upon so many people.Thank you for enlightening us.

  • Avatar for Kathy Boone

    Kathy Boone

    says:

    I celebrate Thanksgiving, but not to remember the feast between the colonist and the American Indians. I celebrate with family to thank God for our many blessings. It is a time to be with those we love and appreciate. It is a day to be Thankful, and to remind us to thank God everyday for each other.

  • Avatar for Mark Chase

    Mark Chase

    says:

    I never knew the extent of the callousness of the Pilgrims towards the Natives, especially following a wholesome celebration like Thanksgiving. I know I will never look at Thanksgiving the same way again. Thank you for providing the truth about this often misunderstood holiday, as the pain that this brings on our collective conscience will surely encourage rethinking how this country portrays such a brutal history. By conveniently ignoring or disregarding the worst moments of our nation’s history, many have been deluded into thinking the colonists were always the “good guys” while the tribes were the “lawless savages”. This thinking must stop if we are to simultaneously move forward while acknowledging the injustices of our ancestors.

  • Avatar for Nate Zona

    Nate Zona

    says:

    It never ceases to amaze me how many terrible things the Europeans/Americans have covered up in the mainstream narrative. I should be used to it by now, but I doubt I ever will be. Thanks for laying that all out, and bringing this information to light.

  • Avatar for Alvelia Farmer

    Alvelia Farmer

    says:

    This was a very lengthy, detailed article. overall, i was moved & i really enjoyed it. i have a different outlook on thanksgiving now.

  • Avatar for Lee Slusher

    Lee Slusher

    says:

    This article really gives me a new perspective on Thanksgiving I always knew the stories behind Thanksgiving are inaccurate but I never thought of the Slaughter if the Native Americans as the original of Thanksgiving to Puritans of the Period after the that first feast. I can understand why Native peoples can be upset more by the Ideas of the holiday and why education needs to be changed about the Thanksgiving.

  • Avatar for Bryan

    Bryan

    says:

    So, actually the original Thanksgiving was the same depicted in “the Brady Bunch”. Pilgrims were sick and starving, Indians taught pilgrims to hunt and farm thus saving pilgrims, pilgrims invited Indians to dinner…. just left out the whole part of torturing and killing all the Indians afterward.

    • Avatar for Shelli Weller

      Shelli Weller

      says:

      Not so Bryan. Unfortunately what actually happened has been misrepresented. I encourage you to visit the site Wall Builders for truthful insight.

  • Avatar for John

    John

    says:

    I was taught in school as I grew up many of the things in this article, but not the totally grim details. Much of what I learned wasn’t sugar coated. The treatment of aboriginal peoples in our country has been shoddy and many times very cruel. My hope for humanity is things like this don’t happen in the future and all peoples fortunes grow brighter.

  • Avatar for Eileen

    Eileen

    says:

    Rwirt, as a Lakota and a fellow homeschool mom, might I direct you to the Keepers of the Earth series by Michael Caduto. I also used a wonderful text called Rerhinking Columbus which focused on the obvious lies and departure from realty we’ve all been sold, especially outside the native community. Blessings to you for bringing the real story of this country to your children. You are giving them a gift of critical thinking and truth-telling that will prepare them for an intelligent life.

  • Avatar for rwirt

    rwirt

    says:

    I am a mother who has decided to home educate my children. While many factors helped me decide to do this, one key factor, was how inaccurately ALL of our nations history is presented in public schools ( it’s usually the ‘sugar coated’ or ‘pretty’ picture being painted, rather than the true picture. sadly this often has directly to do with early Americans treatment of the indigenous people of this continent.) the only reason I know any accurate history is because my own mother taught me to seek out factual and true accounts of events, which were in direct conflict to what I was being taught at school. I was very disappointed when my public school kindergartener came home (last year) during November with a feathered headband and told me all about the pilgrims and indians. While it wasn’t as blatantly false as what I was taught in school, it was far away from being accurate. I have visited several sites to try to find age appropriate and factual resources for my 1st grader and preschooler. Unfortunately even tiny details such as the Wampanoag dress are inaccurate so why would I trust those sources with the bigger events. Can anyone direct me to a site that presents accurate age appropriate information, crafts, projects, suggested writing? I do not want to disrespect any culture, past or present. Thank you.

  • Avatar for Stephan

    Stephan

    says:

    My comment relates only to the original thanksgiving. I grew up outside of Boston and my understanding of how the first thanksgiving was basically lines up with this description. At least in the sense that we knew that it was the native people who taught the Pilgrims to survive.

  • Avatar for Philip Lightfoot

    Philip Lightfoot

    says:

    As I was reading this article and after awhile I started to realize that my heart was pounding and my hands were nervously starting to shake as I had to reread several lines in such horrified shock just trying to make sense of all the ignorance and utter destruction that was perpetrated by those so called self righteous Puritans, English and Dutch etc. sorry excuses of humanity and to think that for the last few hundred years the truth and history has been rewritten to make everyone to believe otherwise. I was a Combat Medic in VietNam and since then there has been very little that ever rattles me or has gotten me this rattled or energized not even horror films, but this…….. Damn! I will forward this article of truth onto my family and friends and post this on my facebook for all to see.

  • Avatar for John Ellis

    John Ellis

    says:

    I’m SO ashamed of the way the Europeans behaved towards those who were not only here first, but saved them from certain self-destruction. Such un-Christian acts speak volumes of the values they held and the outright contempt they expressed towards the Natives. Surely, some of it stemmed from fear and skirmishes they had with them in earlier encounters, yet the horror described above is no excuse for people of God or those of conscience. I imagine myself traveling back in time to enlighten those fools and to shame them for failing to make allies rather than enemies.

  • Avatar for EL Denney

    EL Denney

    says:

    This story makes me really sad, to know how brutal my forefathers were to the natives. I am sure this was not God’s will and it made Him very sad also.

  • Avatar for LeeAnne

    LeeAnne

    says:

    This should be sent to every school district in the country! I am sure that I am one of VERY few teachers who teach what really happened. Excellent article!

  • Avatar for Dennis (Donovan)

    Dennis (Donovan)

    says:

    This is one of the best and succinct essays I have read on the topic of the history of Thanksgiving and the mass murderers often overlooked or covered up. I have shared this link with my more than 2,500 friends on Facebook…many of them are passing this link around also.

  • Avatar for isabel

    isabel

    says:

    WOW!!! it really opened my eyes about the real story of thanksgiving.

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