First and foremost the original inhabitants of America before the invasion by other people were the Native Americans. They are an indigenous people whose culture and religion was sacred to them. However they have been thought of as savages, violent and stubborn people due to the stories that have been told to us.
Secondly the true thanks giving story dates back to 1614; some English explorers sailing to England and aboard the ship were Indians captured for slavery left behind small pox. The disease swept a whole population of escaped slaves; on arrival at the Massachusetts Bay the pilgrims they found one man who was still alive, a Patuxent Indian named Squanto. The man was a survivor of slavery in England thus understood their dialect; he therefore collaborated with them and he thought them farming and fishing and further negotiated an agreement between the two groups, the pilgrims and the Wampanoag nation. The pilgrims later held a feast in honor of Squanto and the Wampanoags; this was the feast of thanks giving .
Thirdly the Indians had four commandments incorporated in their values; respect mother earth, respect the Great Spirit, respect fellow men and women and respect for individual freedom. These values were however exploited by the British , who subjected them to slavery and adversity. .
Fourth the Thanksgiving celebration has then been adopted by several people to give thanks for achievements or success through adversities and for many other reasons. But initially the Americans celebrated thanks giving for every butchering their pilgrims made and the conquering of towns and nations in native America .
In 1637 over 700 human beings men women and children who had gathered for Green corn festival which is a thanksgiving festival, were slaughtered by the English and Dutch mercenaries at the predawn of the festival. The governor of Massachusetts then announced a day of thanks giving because 700 hundred people had been slain in native America. These two scenarios create a totally different picture of the thanksgiving festival, the Natives Green corn festival was a thanksgiving festival for the bountiful harvest while on the other hand the pilgrim’s festival was a celebration after massacre.
Lastly it is evident that after word spread of the unexplored lands in native America and as such Pequot now the Stamford, many English men sailed and seized land, captured slaves and killed the rest they faced resistance in Pequot who were against the treaty signed by Squanto. These resulted in a war that led to death of many an Indian war that was ever fought. The invaders were victorious with many Indians slain; the churches thus spread word for another feast for thanksgiving to celebrate their defeat over the ‘savages’.
State if you were taught this version of the story and if yes what impact did this have on your view of Native Americans. If you were not taught this version of the story, indicate what impact did the story you were taught have on your view of Native Americans, if you did know about thanksgiving, state what your views are regarding the U.S treatment of Native Americans.
Form this story it is clear that there are two kinds of thanksgiving; a thanks giving celebrated by the natives to give thanks for blessings and good harvest and the one celebrated by the by the Dutch and English men for their victory against the natives .
When the massacre of the natives became uncontrolled, there was a series of thanksgivings thus George Washington suggested a thanksgiving to be held annually instead of after every massacre; this was later decreed by Abraham Lincoln to be one of the national days. That is celebrated to date in the United States of America.
The major issue with thanksgiving however is what we know and learned about the pilgrims and Squanto and the First thanksgiving is a mixture of both History and Myth. But the most important thing is to understand the theme of thanksgiving and know that it has truth and integrity far above what we and our ancestors have thought of it.
Thanksgiving is a bigger concept than just the story of the founding of the Plymouth Plantation. The story of the true thanks giving foundation of Plymouth plantation has shown that native Indians were hardworking and well organized people. They were generous, kind and hospitable, Squanto and his people the Wampanoag’s of the Wampanoag nation welcomed the pilgrims and taught them how to farm and even provided them with food during the hard times..
It is unruly of the Americans to have treated such people with cruelty and subject them to such adversity as they did yet they were more than willing to live with them in peace. The Natives were humble and peaceful people who could also turn wild if their culture and religion were disrespected thus the conflict between them and the later bunch of pilgrims to their land.
References
Bates, S., & Chuck, L. (2006). The real story of thanks giving. Retrieved february 13, 2012, from Manataka American Indian council: http://www.manataka.org/page269.html
