Thanksgiving is a much-loved American holiday for most people. As with many events in history, many of the facts have been altered throughout the years. Often these false versions of the event are even taught in a variety of schools. In the spirit of taking a closer look at our country’s culture and history, we dedicate this blog post to acknowledging the perspective of the native people. Inspired by the book Thanksgiving: A Native Perspective, we were inspired to address the topic.
A Thanksgiving History
November 22, 2024
History of the Event
When the early colonists (often referred to as ‘pilgrims’) landed in North America, they built their village in close proximity to a group of people called the Wampanoag. While the two groups had made contact with one another, they weren’t really considered friends. In fact, the colonists stole corn and other items they found that was assumed to be harvested by the native people.
Life in a new land was very hard on the colonists. Many of their people died and everyday life was a struggle. To celebrate the passing of their first year, the people decided to hold a celebration which would include food and games. They discharged weapons as either a part of their celebration or perhaps while hunting, and the sound of the guns alarmed the nearby Wampanoag people. Sachem Massasoit and a group of 90 men traveled to investigate the situation and soon realized that there was no threat. This small group of Wampanoag men joined in the celebration which lasted three days. Primary source documents suggest that the native men hunted several deer and perhaps some other game to contribute. Many of the foods we consider traditional were not, in fact, enjoyed during that celebratory feast.
It is important to note that while this one particular Thanksgiving celebration is the root of our historical holiday, the Wampanoag people gave thanks via formal celebrations several times each year for thousands of years prior. These traditions were a way of acknowledging the earth, as well as their people’s connections to the earth and to each other. Today’s modern Thanksgiving is a day of mourning for many native people, as they remember their generosity toward the settlers was met with theft of land, violence, and destruction of their homes and people just a generation later.
Wampanoag Thanksgivings
Wampanoag people gave thanks each day and held many special celebrations throughout the year. Their new year coincides with planting crops in the spring. The beginning of summer is marked with a strawberry celebration. Cranberry Day was (and still is) celebrated in the fall and a winter celebration was a time to share food and supplies with those who did not have as much. To this day, native children are given the day off from school to celebrate Cranberry Day, an important cultural tradition.
The video below shows elder Gladys Widdiss recounting her experiences with Cranberry Day when she was young, and also shows Wampanoag educator Annawan Weeden teaching a group of teachers how to play a traditional game called hubbub.
Interested in trying traditional native food? This recipe for Nasaump comes from the
Plimoth
Plantation
website.
Nasaump is a traditional Wampanoag dish that is made from dried corn, local berries, and nuts. It is boiled in water until it thickens and is similar to a porridge or oatmeal.
- 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
- 1 cup strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or a combination of all three
- 1/2 crushed walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds or a combination of all three
- 1 quart water
- maple syrup or sugar to taste (optional)
Combine cornmeal, berries, crushed nuts, and the optional sweetener in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes.
Follow the link above to find more recipes, including the English settlers’ stewed pompion (pumpkin).
Common Myths
History has debunked much of what we consider to be true about Thanksgiving. Some common myths:
- The pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. Plymouth Rock is a landmark that visitors flock to even today. There is no evidence that the colonists actually landed on the rock, and in fact evidence suggests quite the opposite.
- Squanto was a friend to the pilgrims. Squanto, one of the few native people that spoke English, often served as an interpreter between the two groups. Years earlier, he had been captured and taken to Europe as a slave, only to eventually return home to find his people’s village wiped out by disease. Squanto used his position to his own benefit, often stirring up trouble between the colonists and the native people.
- There was cranberry sauce and popcorn at the celebration. There is no record of either, or many other foods that people believe the Wampanoags and colonists shared. There were the deer that Massasoit and his men caught, as well as turkey, nasaump, and pumpkin.
- The colonists and Wampanoags were friends. The Europeans viewed the native people as heathens and the Wampanoags did not trust the colonists. As time went on, the colonists took more of the native people’s land, and when the Wampanoags attempted to defend themselves, they were massacred, sold into slavery, or forced to flee.
To learn more about the history of the Wampanoags, early English colonists, and their interactions, visit the following pages:
- https://wampanoagtribe-nsn.gov/wampanoag-history
- https://plimoth.org/for-students/homework-help/thanksgiving
- https://americanindian.si.edu/sites/1/files/pdf/education/NMAI_Harvest_Study_Guide.pdf
- https://thetableunderground.com/the-table-underground/2018/11/15/books-to-help-you-get-a-clue-about-the-true-history-of-thanksgiving-mzmg2
- https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/informational/rethinking-thanksgiving
When Dr. Maria Montessori began developing her curriculum for elementary-aged children, she recognized that their educational needs undergo a profound transformation. Academic skills become more complex, but more importantly, the way content is delivered must fundamentally shift. In the elementary years (ages 6–12), children transition away from the sensory, hands-on physical boundaries of early childhood and move toward an expanding intellectual horizon. Around age six, a child’s scope of vision expands exponentially beyond themselves. Social connections become paramount, a vivid imagination awakens, and a deep curiosity takes hold regarding the universe, society, and their own place within the big picture. To meet this developmental leap, Dr. Montessori created Cosmic Education—a holistic framework that presents the story of the universe and humanity’s interconnected role within it. The Five Great Lessons: Springboards for Imagination At the heart of Cosmic Education are the Five Great Lessons. These are not intended to be exhaustive academic lectures; rather, they are dramatic, impressionistic stories designed to ignite the child's imagination and serve as a springboard for all future research and learning. Because children spend three years in each elementary community (Lower Elementary: ages 6–9; Upper Elementary: ages 9–12), they experience these lessons three distinct times. Each year, as their cognitive capacity grows, the lessons reveal deeper layers of meaning, sparking fresh, student-led exploration in chemistry, history, mathematics, language, and the sciences. Great Lesson 1: The Creation of the Universe Typically presented at the start of the school year, this lesson offers a captivating sense of wonder. Guides intentionally prepare the atmosphere: drawing the blinds, dimming the lights, and gathering children around a series of impressionistic materials and science experiments. The story begins in the vast, cold darkness before the universe existed, building up to the instantaneous moment of creation. Through striking demonstrations, children observe: How particles moved together and apart The speed of light and the immense scale of stars States of matter (solids, liquids, gases) The formation of the solar system, the cooling of the Earth, and volcanic activity Follow-Up Studies: This lesson serves as the gateway to physics, chemistry, astronomy, geology, physical geography, and the scientific method. Great Lesson 2: The Coming of Life As the school year progresses, attention shifts to how life emerged on Earth. To help elementary students grasp deep time, guides utilize impressionistic visual materials: The Long Black Strip: A long runner of black fabric representing Earth's vast lifespan, ending with a tiny sliver of white to represent all of human history. This material provides a humbling visual perspective on our planet's timeline. The Clock of Eras & The Timeline of Life: Colorfully illustrated charts detailing life’s evolution from single-celled organisms through early plants, invertebrates, vertebrates, and dinosaurs. Follow-Up Studies: Children dive into biology, Botany, Zoology, the five kingdoms of life, vertebrate classification, and paleontology through fossil studies. Great Lesson 3: The Coming of Humans This lesson introduces early human ancestors and the arrival of human consciousness. Children reflect on what makes human beings unique—our ability to think, reason, feel deeply, and collaborate to invent tools that solve complex problems. Guides introduce the Fundamental Needs of Humans, demonstrating how all people throughout history and across cultures share the exact same core requirements for survival and fulfillment (shelter, nourishment, clothing, defense, spiritual expression, and art). Follow-Up Studies: Ancient history, cultural anthropology, world geography, social studies, and human migration patterns. Great Lesson 4: The History of Mathematics Elementary students are fascinated to discover that mathematics was not created out of thin air, but was invented by ancient civilizations to solve real-world problems, like measuring land, trading goods, and tracking time. By learning about the contributions of the Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Mayans, and early Indian mathematicians who developed the concept of zero, children realize that numbers are a shared human heritage. Follow-Up Studies: When children work through subtraction, long division, or geometry, they ground their practice in historical context, making abstract math deeply meaningful and engaging. Great Lesson 5: The History of Language Similar to the history of math, this lesson illuminates how written language evolved. From early cave paintings and Egyptian hieroglyphics to the Phoenician alphabet and the printing press, students learn how humans captured spoken thoughts to communicate across distance and time. Follow-Up Studies: Because elementary students are actively refining their reading, grammar, creative writing, and research skills, understanding the origin of words (etymology) inspires pride and curiosity in their literacy work. Experiencing Cosmic Education at MSL Cosmic Education gives children a sense of purpose and belonging. Instead of delivering isolated facts, Montessori presents the whole universe first, allowing students to see how every detailed subject connects back to the grand story of life. Would you like to observe our Lower and Upper Elementary classrooms in action and see Cosmic Education at work? Schedule a tour today!
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