The Indians at Thanksgiving

There were 90 Native Americans at the “First Thanksgiving” in 1621.  We are familiar with the “feel good” side of this event and smile when we see drawings of the Pilgrims and the Indians sharing that meal and singing  Kumbaya.  The Indians at the first Thanksgiving were ancestors of the Wampanoag Nation. These folks believe that what we conjure up for Thanksgiving is straight off the stable floor.  There’s a connection here to one of our greatest Americans – Abraham Lincoln. Approximately 240 years after the “feast”,  Lincoln declared that Thanksgiving was to be celebrated and he cited the Pilgrims and Indians peacefully breaking bread as the model.  Abe should have dug a little deeper. He made this declaration during the Civil War; a time when people needed some calming unity story; so he embellished a bit.   The Wampanoag Nation insists that there was a treaty made between the tribe and the Pilgrims that basically said, “We’ll watch your back if you watch mine”.  They go on to say that the Indians showed up only because the Pilgrims were blasting off their guns in celebration of a good harvest and they thought that a battle was ensuing.  The Indians decided to stay for a few days to monitor the situation.  Can you imagine the fear that the Pilgrims had when seriously outnumbered by heavily-weaponed Indians?  Heck, I would make a treaty too!  The Pilgrims came to rely on the Indians even though they thought of them as savages.  That, boys and girls, is one version of the first Thanksgiving that didn’t make the editor’s cut.

Why is the above important other than for historical purposes?  For teachers, it illustrates the importance of getting all of the facts right before presenting anything to students.  If you have never read, Lies My Teacher Told Me, I would recommend it.  Textbooks don’t always get it right.  Anything taught needs to be backed up with evidence.  We ask kids all the time to cite textual evidence in their answers.  The book goes on to relate that the subject that kids are bored with the most is History because they find it irrelevant.  If you want to deepen understanding in a student, make it relevant.  It is important, as I have tried to relate above, to present different viewpoints and let students expound upon theirs.  Whatever you are teaching, make sure that you do your homework by researching it for validity.  Things change rapidly in several subject areas.  Think of what Pluto used to be, the supposed “Massacre” in Boston, the food pyramid, and controversities about global warming as examples how things have changed.  Make certain that what you are telling kids is right on the money.