Re-Thinking Thanksgiving

Re-Thinking Thanksgiving: Native American Views on an American Holiday

This lively presentation will give an overview of the history of this very misunderstood holiday. Based on the only primary source document that chronicles the “First Thanksgiving,” participants will learn accurate and culturally appropriate information about the English settlers at Plymouth and the Wampanoag, the Native people who inhabited that area.

Perry will discuss the actual events of 1621 in Plymouth, the relationship between the English settlers and the Wampanoag, and how this story became the holiday we know today. Although they were not present in Plymouth in 1621, connections to the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) concepts of Thanksgiving will be discussed so participants will understand how Native People view Thanksgiving today.

The presenter:

Perry Ground is a Turtle Clan member of the Onondaga Nation of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy. Perry has been a storyteller and educator for over 25 years and enjoys working with people of all ages to teach about the history & culture of Native Peoples.