Native Americans and Thanksgiving
The role of Native Americans in Thanksgiving has often been that of the lookers-on, the people who do not belong to the celebration. This has even encouraged groups of Native Americans who prefer to commemorate The National Day of Mourning instead of Thanksgiving.
Native Americans were instrumental in the survival of the first settlers, however, and this fact should always be taken into account. Without their valuable aid, the Pilgrims would not have been able to endure the crude winters when food was scarce and sickness was prevalent.
More importantly, perhaps, the help of friendly natives such as Squanto, a member of the Patuxet tribe, was instrumental in helping the newcomers to adapt to the land. He taught them how to catch the fish that were so abundant in the region. Cod and bass were two species of fish that were mentioned in the diary of William Bradford and both of these species of fish are not easy to catch. Squanto’s help was valuable in this regard.
Another area where Squanto was invaluable was in helping to forge an alliance with one of the strongest groups of Native Americans in the area, that of the Wampanoag tribe. Their leader, Massasoit, by his friendship with the Pilgrims, made their lives easier by not having to live in constant fear of attack by other tribes.
Squanto’s help was also of significant importance in teaching the Pilgrims how to plant corn, one of the mainstays of their food supply. He showed them how to use fish as a fertilizer by burying one alongside the seedling. By this simple method, he ensured that the settlers would always have a supply of corn.
Native Americans were important in the establishment of the new colony by giving freely of their knowledge. Only later, when their help was no longer necessary, were they relegated to the sidelines of history.
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