" The First Thanksgiving"

When the Pilgrams landed at Plymouth, they found that it had an excellent harbour and good fishing grounds.

However, the first winter was hard on the Pilgrams.  the cold,sleet and snow interfered with them trying to build their settlement.  Many died  during the long winter.   Out of 110 Pilgrams that landed in Plymouth only 50  survived the first winter.

In the spring of 1621  an indian by the name of Somoset ( who was an Abnaki indian)  came to the settlement and the Pilgrams were scared until he said "Welcome" in English.  He had learned the English language from captains of fishing boats that had sailed off the coast.  He spent the night and left the next day and shortly afterwards returned with another indian named Squanto, who could speak English better than Samoset.

Squanto was important to the Pilgrams.  They most likely wouldn't have survived without his help.

He taught them which plants were poisonous and which to be used for medicine.  He showed them how to plant corn...using decaying fish for fertilizer .  He taught them to plant beans and squash with the corn ( the three sisters) and he taught them how to tap the maple tree for sap.

The Pilgrams governor, William Bradford, proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving to be shared by all the colonists and neighboring Native Americans.  They invited Squanto and other indians to join in the celebration.  Their Chief, Massasosoit , and ninty braves came to the first Thanksgiving celebration which lasted three days.

Gwa Gwa Gwa

Now the time has come, Hear us. Lord of the sky!

We are here to speak the truth, for you do not hear lies.

We are your children , Lord of the sky.

Now begins the Ga yant' gogwus, this sacred fire and sacred

tobacco.   And through this smoke we offer our prayers.

We are your children, Lord of the sky.

Now in the beginning of all things you provided that we

inherit your creation.  You said " I shall make the earth

on which people shall live.  And they shall look to the earth 

as their mother and they shall say, "It is she who supports us"

You said that we should always be thankful for our earth

and for each other.  so it is that we are gathered here.

We are your children, Lord of the sky.

Now again the smoke rises and again we offer Prayers.

You said that food should be placed beside us and it should be

ours in exchange for our labor.  you thought that ours should

be a world where green grass of many kinds should grow.

You said that some should be medicines and that one

should be Ona'o the sacred food, our sister, corn you gave

to her two clinging sisters, beautiful Oa'geta, our sister, beans

and bountiful Nyo'sowane, our sister, squash the three

sacred sisters; they who sustain us.

This is what you thought, Lord of the sky.  This did you

think to provide for us and you ordered that when the warm

season comes, that we should see the return of life and

remember you and be thankful and gather here by the sacred

fire.   So now again the smoke rises .  We the People offer our

prayers.   We speak to you through the rising smoke.  We

are thankful, Lord of the sky.

(liberally translated) Chuck Larsen, Seneca

Sign my Guestbook!
Read my Guestbook!