Some Truth behind the First Thanksgiving

 Have you heard the real story of the first Thanksgiving?

Remember the Thanksgiving story we were told as kids, full of peace, kindness and caring? Well, what if I told you that wasn’t the truth?

What if I told the first Thanksgiving story was filled with violence, terror, but also, peace, food , and love? Would you believe me or would you say that this can’t all happen at once? Well guess what? It can! This week I interviewed a student at West about it, so let’s dive into it! 

You might wonder who was involved in the first Thanksgiving.“The English settlers, and Native Americans,” a West 8th grader, who is part Native American, said. He explained the first Thanksgiving was an unplanned three day long feast. Did you know that? 

According to the National Archives, “The First Thanksgiving story emphasizes a peaceful exchange between the Pilgrims and Wampanoag, yet it seldom includes a Native American perspective.”

Is this story as peaceful as we think?

Well sadly, no. Well it’s kind of a myth, and here is the myth part.,  The common point of view goes to a joyful event where Pilgrims and Wampanoag shared a peaceful feast, symbolizing lasting harmony. But the truth is “It just disregards (the centuries of brutality) against Native Americans and chooses to take this one tiny snapshot, and in the world of social media, it puts all the pretty filters on it so that it doesn’t look the way it truly did,” said Dr. Kelli Mosteller, Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s Cultural Heritage Center director. “ Our West 8th grader shared that his grandma said that the story was peaceful. But would have to do his own research.  

FUN FACTS!!

Did you know that in many cultures other than the Native American culture grow their hair for honor?

“When people tell us to just cut our hair or tell us we look like girls, it offends,” says a West 8th grader of Native American descent. Hearing that perspective hurt my heart. “In a lot of other cultures, not just Native, you grow your hair for honor, and when you cut it,  you lose your honor. You can get your honor back but it takes a long time.”  

Or… did you know that in Native tribes they have spiritual animals? 

The West 8th grader I spoke with told me about how in one of their tribes they believed a turtle is spiritual. 

During Thanksgiving, it is important to be grateful for your family and friends, but to also recognize the Native Americans that sacrificed for us.