Native American boardies, may I ask you a question?

[Chris in VA]

I want to be appropriate--

Is it okay for my preschool class to use natural dyes to make a cloth headband while learning a little about the Wampanoag people? We are not re-enacting the "First Thanksgiving," we are just talking about it a bit on Tuesday. I know about not dressing up in feathers, and all that, but I wasn't sure if it'd be ok.

[Mrs Mungo]

I would be fine with that.

[Chris in VA]

Thank you, Mrs. Mungo!

[Slartibartfast]

I think that would be ok.

 

[trulycrabby]

I would be absolutely fine with it.

[Truscifi]

I think it's fine.

[EndOfOrdinary]

I would be fine with it if you were going to discuss a realistic view of what happened on the "First Thanksgiving" for both sides.  So often it is only the Puritan side that gets talked about.  That bothers me as a Native person.  If you are going to dress up as both sides, you need to present both sides.  I mean, you do not have to go into Smallpox blankets and massacres.  They are young.  Recognizing kindness being delivered without being repaid is an important part.  Recognizing that neither side were "happy neighbors" is an important part.

 

Just don't white-wash it.

Here is a good link: http://www.manataka.org/page269.html

James Loewen covers it well in Lies My Teacher Told Me: http://sundown.afro.illinois.edu/liesmyteachertoldme.php

[Slartibartfast]

I agree pre-school is a bit young to go into some of the horrors. :(

[Chris in VA]

It'll be a quick reference. We will read two books from Plimouth Plantation. We are not dressing up as either side (but some of the other teachers are having their classes dress up--I'm not in agreement with how TG is handled at my school). We are mostly focused on the "giving thanks to God" part (Christian school) and the "a feast is who you eat with" part, and the foods they may have as part of their family's feast (we have lots of international students).

Thanks--I appreciate the feedback and the link.

[Ethel Mertz]

I think what you have planned is fine. If I remember correctly, the books from Plimoth Plantation tell both sides of the story. I would be fine with what you've planned for the preschoolers.

[Slartibartfast]

Our local elem school has a Natir American program where they dress in generic "native" costumes and perform a "rain dance". I don't have kids in the school but still feel like I should write a letter.

 

Wow.  That's terrible. :(

 

FWIW many tribes have education groups which will send people to a school to discuss the tribe and present some traditions, some may have dances they can let the kids do. You might mention that as an alternative when you write a letter.

[Mrs Mungo]

It'll be a quick reference. We will read two books from Plimouth Plantation. We are not dressing up as either side (but some of the other teachers are having their classes dress up--I'm not in agreement with how TG is handled at my school). We are mostly focused on the "giving thanks to God" part (Christian school) and the "a feast is who you eat with" part, and the foods they may have as part of their family's feast (we have lots of international students).

Thanks--I appreciate the feedback and the link.

I do think it's worth talking about the types of homes each group lived in at the time, the types of foods present at the meal (much different than what we have), etc.

[Elisabet1]

Or the pleasantries. Some of my ancestors kept intermarrying prior to the first Thanksgiving.  And it happened repeatedly for generations. No need to get in to the pro-creative activities either. I suspect it is because more men came over than women and they still wanted companionship. But clearly, they were getting along fine for that to repeat like that.

That is down one side. There is a history on another side. Small Pox did not hurt everyone. Europeans died from it too. But there was a violent tribe that was huge, killing off the smaller, more peaceful tribes, that were more nomadic. The larger tribe was pretty much killed off by the small pox but the smaller tribes went unhurt because it could not spread in their type of community the way it could in a large community living together. With the very large violent tribe out of the way, the smaller tribes flourished and grew, and were safer. And of course, people of all origins died of small pox. It was not just one group that died from it.

[Excelsior! Academy]

Both dh and i would be fine with that.

[Slartibartfast]

Or the pleasantries. Some of my ancestors kept intermarrying prior to the first Thanksgiving. And it happened repeatedly for generations. No need to get in to the pro-creative activities either. I suspect it is because more men came over than women and they still wanted companionship. But clearly, they were getting along fine for that to repeat like that.

That is down one side. There is a history on another side. Small Pox did not hurt everyone. Europeans died from it too. But there was a violent tribe that was huge, killing off the smaller, more peaceful tribes, that were more nomadic. The larger tribe was pretty much killed off by the small pox but the smaller tribes went unhurt because it could not spread in their type of community the way it could in a large community living together. With the very large violent tribe out of the way, the smaller tribes flourished and grew, and were safer. And of course, people of all origins died of small pox. It was not just one group that died from it.

 

What are you talking about? Northeastern woodlands tribes, who encountered the pilgrims, were not all that nomadic. They built PERMANENT structures. Whatever you are reading is WRONG.

 

They frequently traded and intermingled with one another, it isn't as if they were completely isolated from one another.

 

There was no huge roving violent tribe in the northeast. That doesn't even make sense, where are you getting this weird and wildly inaccurate information?

[Mrs Mungo]

Or the pleasantries. Some of my ancestors kept intermarrying prior to the first Thanksgiving.  And it happened repeatedly for generations. No need to get in to the pro-creative activities either. I suspect it is because more men came over than women and they still wanted companionship. But clearly, they were getting along fine for that to repeat like that.

That is down one side. There is a history on another side. Small Pox did not hurt everyone. Europeans died from it too. But there was a violent tribe that was huge, killing off the smaller, more peaceful tribes, that were more nomadic. The larger tribe was pretty much killed off by the small pox but the smaller tribes went unhurt because it could not spread in their type of community the way it could in a large community living together. With the very large violent tribe out of the way, the smaller tribes flourished and grew, and were safer. And of course, people of all origins died of small pox. It was not just one group that died from it.

You don't know what you are talking about. Stop that. You really should try reading a real book about Native American history. Reading any history book by Abeka gives you negative amounts of information, by the way, because large bits of it are wrong or misleading. This is the kind of misinformation that Chris is kindly and wisely trying to avoid.

[Bensmom]

Wow. That's terrible. :(

 

FWIW many tribes have education groups which will send people to a school to discuss the tribe and present some traditions, some may have dances they can let the kids do. You might mention that as an alternative when you write a letter.

Don't want to steal the thread, but wanted to add that growing up in small town Oklahoma, elementary students have an event like this every year (costumes, dancing, singing). It is always led by members of various Native tribes and is a fun educational experience.

 

If you don't know specifically how your local school is presenting these activities, I would inquire before complaining ;)

[Corraleno]

Or the pleasantries. Some of my ancestors kept intermarrying prior to the first Thanksgiving.  And it happened repeatedly for generations. No need to get in to the pro-creative activities either. I suspect it is because more men came over than women and they still wanted companionship. But clearly, they were getting along fine for that to repeat like that.

 

In colonial situations, intermarriage between the conquerers and conquered people is very common, and often involves kidnapping, rape, and forced marriage. The idea that intermarriage between colonists and Native Americans proves that the two populations were "getting along fine" is at best naive, and at worst purposeful whitewashing.

[Spryte]

Or the pleasantries. Some of my ancestors kept intermarrying prior to the first Thanksgiving.  And it happened repeatedly for generations. No need to get in to the pro-creative activities either. I suspect it is because more men came over than women and they still wanted companionship. But clearly, they were getting along fine for that to repeat like that.

That is down one side. There is a history on another side. Small Pox did not hurt everyone. Europeans died from it too. But there was a violent tribe that was huge, killing off the smaller, more peaceful tribes, that were more nomadic. The larger tribe was pretty much killed off by the small pox but the smaller tribes went unhurt because it could not spread in their type of community the way it could in a large community living together. With the very large violent tribe out of the way, the smaller tribes flourished and grew, and were safer. And of course, people of all origins died of small pox. It was not just one group that died from it.

 

:svengo:

 

Where are your sources for this?  Please, please consider doing some reading, or if you are near DC, make a visit to the NMAI for a fabulous research opportunity.  Talk to some Native people, get some good book recommendations.  

 

As for intermarriages, that's been addressed in a PP.  Intermarriages in colonial situations (in any country) were not pleasant, generally, and are not an indication that people are getting along.  I understand wanting to believe it was all okay for your ancestors, or repeating your familial oral history, but broad statements like that fly in the face of historical context.

[Slartibartfast]

Not to mention how did someone get records from before the first Thanksgiving?

 

My tribe was in that area at the time, records would be few and far between.