The Two Stories of Thanksgiving

Image via WikipediaStory one: Pilgrims sit down to eat with Native Americans, or Story two, Pilgrims sit down and eat Native Americans on "Thanksgiving". The question posed is, which is the real story? And how should you view and interact with the holiday thanksgiving?

In School, I learned that the Pilgrims had black hats and gold shinny buckles and sat down and had a wonderful meal with their friends the Native Americans in 1621. I thought this was the way things looked, because this is what my teachers and parents told me. This is not like Christmas, they wouldn't lie about this would they?

I was in middle age, before I learned that this was not the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help my teacher’s God. I would not say they “lied”, however, the Europeans that were invading Turtle Island did not have cloths as described. They whore much less flamboyant plain everyday work cloths. In addition, most Native Americans would tell you that these were not the friendliest folks that ever landed on Turtle Island.

Historians Joel A. Rogers, Dr. Rev. Ishakamusa Barashango and others report that 44 of the Pilgrims died in their first winter in America due to laziness and mental illness. Further, they report that not only did they fail to take the advice of the Native Americans regarding planting and providing for themselves. They actually stole corn from, killed and would eat the Native Americans and each other.


John Smith's Map of the Powhatan Nation he "renamed" Virginia - Larger Map

See the following quote from Captain John Smith (1580-1631) "So great was our famine that a savage we slew and buried, the poorer sort took him up again and ate him; and so did divers ones another boiled and stewed with herbs. And one amongst the rest did kill his wife, powdered her and had eaten part of her."

The General History of Virginia Fourth Book Page 294 (1606-1625)

So what is the real story of Thanksgiving? Did European Americans eat with Native Americans or did European Americans eat Native Americans?

In Closing, let me point out that the reason for informing you about the "The Two Stories of Thanksgiving", is to cause all Americans to think more deeply about this important American holiday. Should we stop celebrating Thanksgiving, No! Thanksgiving should and can be a Culturally Healthy event. As a general proposition families getting together to celebrate family unity, and the harvests of family and friends for the year, is a good thing.

However, we must have an accurate picture of the past, if Ma'at (Truth, balance) is to be served in the present and the future. So the bigger question is, what stories do we tell our children, regarding early American relationships to Native Americans. This holiday is a time to ask ( or re-ask) ourselves, What is, and what ought to be, our political, social and spiritual relationship to Native Americans?

See the Cultural Literacy Minutes below.

1. Who were the good and bad guys in American Cowboy and "Indian" movies of the 1960's and earlier?
Note: your answer to the above question will tell you something about your cultural orientation to Native Americans.

2. "Indian" = DoubleSpeak (Cultural Poisoning) - Antidote = Native American, Indigenous People, Mohawk, Chippewa, etc.

3. There are also Black Indians among us. This is the Third Story of Thanksgiving, click here.

To view a discussion with Native Americans and other Americans that has been going on for many years visit this link. WARNING This is the old Wild West of the Internet before spell check and before I knew anything about writing.


Our (Americans) relationship to our Native American brothers and sisters has not been Culturally Healthy. I have reactivated your ancestral memory about three of the stories, there are many more, learn about them. It is the Twenty First century, Obama is the President, God is in her heaven and we now have the tools to cure this dis-ease of telling less then the full historical truth to our children and each other.


It starts with you. So what are you going to do about it?

CULTURAL HEALTH, REQUIRES ACTION TO GAIN TRACTION!

To participate in my Thanksgiving Poll go to Newsvine

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