Also, Thanksgiving is highly romanticized and rewritten, a bit of truth mixed with a fairy tale ending. Truthful statements include the facts that the Pilgrims were indeed starving, and there was a spirit of giving among the Indian people.

Generally speaking, American Indian people believe in giving. If you go to a powwow, you will usually observe the giving of gifts as part of the ceremony. Giving is a way to earn respect, a way of life. The first Pilgrims were starved, diseased, and dying when Squanto, a Wampanoag, happened upon them. As was the custom, the Wampanoags helped these people, feeding them through the winter and also teaching them how to grow vegetables and plants.

The 'Plymouth Thanksgiving' traditionally regarded as the first thanksgiving occurred in 1621. The feast probably took place during the fifth of six annual thanksgiving festivals celebrated by most Algonkian tribes. The fifth celebration, called the Harvest Festival, occurs in late fall. Traditionally, the Algonkian tribes give thanks for the food that has been grown during this festival.

Usually students are taught about the Thanksgiving feast, but do not learn about the things that happened between the Indians and the settlers before and after this event. The story is retold in such a way that one feels the only reason the American Indians were important was because they kept the early settlers alive, and the ending is "and they all lived happily ever after."

Even before the settlers arrived, the Indian people, being human and with an established culture of their own, were important in their own right. And what happened after the feast does not have a fairy tale ending - there were bitter misunderstandings, war, and disease, the clash of two very different cultures. For example, the European settlers tried to convert the American Indians to their religion, and were very intolerant of Indian culture. Also, the European settlers wanted to own the land, but the Indians did not understand the concept of "owning land." From the Indigenous viewpoint, the earth was the mother of all mankind, a gift from the Creator. Here are a few quotes that might further explain the Indigenous way of thinking:

"No tribe has the right to sell, even to each other, much less to strangers. . .Sell a country!! Why not sell the air, the great sea, as well as the earth?" - Tecumseh, Shawnee

"My reason teaches me that land cannot be sold. The Great Spirit gave it to his children to live upon and cultivate as far as necessary for their subsistence, and so long as they occupy and cultivate it they have the right to the soil, but if they voluntarily leave it then any other people have the right to settle on it. Nothing can be sold, except the things that can be carried away" - Black Hawk, Sauk

Now compare the Indian way of thinking to that of the early settlers. Here is a copy of the Mayflower Compact, which illustrates the motives of these early settlers:

"In ye name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwriten, the loyall subjects of our dread soveraigne Lord King James by ye grace of God, of Great Britaine, Franc, and Ireland king, defender of ye faith, and c.

Haveing undertaken, for ye glorie of God, and advancemente of ye Christian faith, and honour of our king and countrie, a voyage to plant ye first colonie in ye Northerne parts of Virginia, doe by these presents solemnly and mutualy in ye presence of God, and one of another, covenant and combine our selves togeather into a civill body politick; for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of ye ends aforesaid; and by vertue hearof, to enacte, constitute, and frame shuch just and equall lawes, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meete and convenient for ye generall good of ye Colonie: unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witnes wherof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cap-Codd ye .11. of November, in ye year of the raigne of our soveraigne lord King James of England, France, and Ireland ye eighteenth, and of Scotland ye fiftie fourth. Ano: Dom .1620. "

These different ways of thinking and different motives eventually resulted in war between the settlers and the Indians.

The very first official proclamation of a Thanksgiving Day occurred on June 20, 1676, when the governing council of Charlestown, Massachusetts proclaimed June 29 as a day of thanksgiving. However, the day of thanksgiving was to celebrate the fact that the people had defeated their enemies - the Pequot Indians.

"The Holy God having by a long and Continual Series of his Afflictive dispensations in and by the present Warr with the Heathen Natives of this land, written and brought to pass bitter things against his own Covenant people in this wilderness, yet so that we evidently discern that in the midst of his judgements he hath remembered mercy, having remembered his Footstool in the day of his sore displeasure against us for our sins, with many singular Intimations of his Fatherly Compassion, and regard; reserving many of our Towns from Desolation Threatened, and attempted by the Enemy, and giving us especially of late with many of our Confederates many signal Advantages against them, without such Disadvantage to ourselves as formerly we have been sensible of, if it be the Lord's mercy that we are not consumed, It certainly bespeaks our positive Thankfulness, when our Enemies are in any measure disappointed or destroyed; and fearing the Lord should take notice under so many Intimations of his returning mercy, we should be found an Insensible people, as not standing before Him with Thanksgiving, as well as lading him with our Complaints in the time of pressing Afflictions:

The Council has thought meet to appoint and set apart the 29th day of this instant June, as a day of Solemn Thanksgiving and praise to God for such his Goodness and Favour, many Particulars of which mercy might be Instanced, but we doubt not those who are sensible of God's Afflictions, have been as diligent to espy him returning to us; and that the Lord may behold us as a People offering Praise and thereby glorifying Him; the Council doth commend it to the Respective Ministers, Elders and people of this Jurisdiction; Solemnly and seriously to keep the same Beseeching that being perswaded by the mercies of God we may all, even this whole people offer up our bodies and soulds as a living and acceptable Service unto God by Jesus Christ." - Note: The text of this proclamation was prepared by Gerald Murphy and distributed by the Cybercasting Services Division of the National Public Telecomputing Network (NPTN).

The Thanksgiving holiday as we know it from this proclamation. Here is another Thanksgiving Day proclamation, dated November 1, 1782:

STATE OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE.

IN COMMITTEE of SAFETY,

EXETER, November 1, 1782.

ORDERED,

THAT the following Proclamation for a general THANKSGIVING on the twenty-eighth day of November, received from the honorable Continental Congress, be forthwith printed, and sent to the several worshipping Assemblies in this State, to whom it is recommended religiously to observe said day, and to abstain from all servile labour thereon. M. WEARE, President.

By the United States in Congress assembled.

PROCLAMATION.

IT being the indispensable duty of all Nations, not only to offer up their supplications to ALMIGHTY GOD, the giver of all good, for his gracious assistance in a time of distress, but also in a solemn and public manner to give him praise for his goodness in general, and especially for great and signal interpositions of his providence in their behalf: Therefore the United States in Congress assembled, taking into their consideration the many instances of divine goodness to these States, in the course of the important conflict in which they have been so long engaged; the present happy and promising state of public affairs; and the events of the war, in the course of the year now drawing to a close; particularly the harmony of the public Councils, which is so necessary to the success of the public cause; the perfect union and good understanding which has hitherto subsisted between them and their Allies, notwithstanding the artful and unwearied attempts of the common enemy to divide them; the success of the arms of the United States, and those of their Allies, and the acknowledgment of their independence by another European power, whose friendship and commerce must be of great and lasting advantage to these States:----- Do hereby recommend to the inhabitants of these States in general, to observe, and request the several States to interpose their authority in appointing and commanding the observation of THURSDAY the twenty-eight day of NOVEMBER next, as a day of solemn THANKSGIVING to GOD for all his mercies: and they do further recommend to all ranks, to testify to their gratitude to GOD for his goodness, by a cheerful obedience of his laws, and by promoting, each in his station, and by his influence, the practice of true and undefiled religion, which is the great foundation of public prosperity and national happiness.

Done in Congress, at Philadelphia, the eleventh day of October, in the year of our LORD one thousand seven hundred and eighty-two, and of our Sovereignty and Independence, the seventh. JOHN HANSON, President. Charles Thomson, Secretary.

Thus, the official Thanksgiving holiday was never meant to honor Indigenous People. The point is, if we are going to remember this first Thanksgiving, let's remember the entire story and not a fairy tale.

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