What is Thanksgiving?

What is Thanksgiving? (Excerpt from Indians of Southern New England)

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The Indians of Southern New England live like everybody else today but they still have at least four thanksgiving events each year. The first is for the Maple trees that give the sweet sap used to make maple syrup and sugar. This comes in late winter. The second comes in the Moon of Strawberries, June. This is the nicest one of all as it is a thanksgiving of renewed friendships. Here everyone forgives any who have wronged them in any way. One never gets into the strawberry dance with a grudge against another. The strawberries were given to the Indians as a peace offering from the Great Spirit so all are at peace at this ceremony.

There is a legend that explains most of the Indian ceremonies and rituals. They knew everything had a reason for its beginning, even the world and all the people.

This is the legend of the strawberries. Many moons ago, a little boy and girl lived with their grandmother, as they had no mother or father. They were very close to each other; they played together, worked together, roamed about together. But one day they quarreled and the little boy walked towards the west with the sun at his back and the little girl walked towards the east. Soon the boy was sorry that he had fought with his sister so he asked the Great Spirit to show him his way home. The little girl became sorry she had fought with her brother so she asked the Great Spirit to forgive her. Then she asked the Great Spirit for something to take back to her brother to show him she was sorry. The Great Spirit told her to look down. There she saw all these bright red berries among the straw and grass close to the ground. So she filled her basket and took them back to her brother as a peace offering. Now, all are at peace when they eat their strawberries and give thanks to their Creator for the peace in their hearts.

The third Thanksgiving is for the green beans. When the natives found out that they could eat the green beans as well as the ripe beans they had another reason to thank the Great Spirit. This ceremony comes in mid-summer, July. At that time the Indians were eating the shellfish, so today they have a clambake along with their green bean Thanksgiving.

The fourth Thanksgiving for the harvest is held in November in conjunction with the National Thanksgiving Day. Here they thank the Creator for the crops of the gardens, the forest, the fields, and the meadows. This is the one they told the Pilgrims about; at a time when they faced another cold winter, their crops were poor, many had died, and they did not feel very festive. But old Squanto stepped down into their midst and told them it was better to thank the Creator, even if things looked down, and Governor Bradford of the Pilgrims answered the Indian, “that would be good for my fainting people. Go call your Massasoit and we will feast and thank God for what blessings we have”.

The Indians came with their venison, wild turkey, potatoes, pumpkins, corn, beans, squash, cranberries, and they all sat down and ate. To the Pilgrims it was their first Thanksgiving; to the Indians just another Harvest Thanksgiving.

Princess Red Wing of Seven Crescents

Royal House of Pokanoket

1975

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