“Every day (is) a day of thanksgiving to the Wampanoag . . .(We) give thanks to the dawn of the new day, at the end of the day, to the sun, to the moon, for rain for helping crops grow. . . There (is) always something to be thankful for. .. Giving thanks comes…
Posts Tagged
America
Colonialism – A History Lesson with Skittles
“Native societies were not homogenous…Native societies and cultures were not static.” –DL It is a sign of respect to know the names and locations of tribes. They aren’t just ‘Indians’; they are people groups with governments, conflicts, history, and culture. “One area of cultural continuity and strength for Algonkian peoples in the Northeast…
The First Thanksgiving – Fears, Power, and Privilege
“In New England no William Penn emerged to suggest that the English immigrants might live peaceably with the natives, on the divine theory that they, too, were children of the universal spirit…..There was simply not the confidence and wisdom and political skill to make one culture of two that were not that different.” –…
The First Thanksgiving – for a Massacre
The Pilgrims had many days of Thanksgiving, which were somber prayer-filled days, as well as festivals to celebrate the harvest. But one of their first Thanksgiving Proclamations was over the Pequot Massacre. “In 1637, the Pequot War culminated in the burning of Fort Mystic by the English and their allies, killing hundreds of Pequot…
The Mayflower Compact – for God and King and White America
In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, etc. Having undertaken for the Glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith and Honour of…
Myth of America – Biased History Lesson
Why is the struggling winter of the Pilgrims portrayed in a better light than the Starving Time of Jamestown? Why has the story of the Pilgrims and Indians become the foundation of Americana? And how can we show kids that the way history is told may be biased? Let’s look at the stories of Columbus,…
Pilgrims – God’s Provision at the Expense of Other People
“Thanksgiving was the third and most exalted of Plymouth’s trinity, holier even than the Mayflower and the Rock. It carried the story of America’s founding out of Plymouth and into millions of homes, renewing memory of the Pilgrims each autumn over turkey, sweet potato, and pumpkin pie. The only people who might be surprised by…
The Myth of America – Jamestown – The Wrong Story to Tell
The viewpoint taken on Jamestown in Light and the Glory is interesting, and contributes to how we talk about the myth that is America. Why do some stories get prioritized over others? “Gosnold formed the Virginia Company to raise money for the new colony. This Company told everyone that the colony was a missionary outreach. …
The Myth of America – Columbus, Christ-Bearer
Let’s set the stage with a neutral description of who Columbus was. “Most scholars believe Columbus was born in 1451, to a family of wool weavers in Genoa. After working in the wool trade, he went to sea and literally washed ashore in Portugal after an attack on his ship by the French. He…
The First Thanksgiving and the Myth of America
“This book is a product of its time and does not reflect the same values as it would if it were written today. Parents might wish to discuss with their children how views on race have changed before allowing them to read this classic work.” – Note at the beginning of Stories of the Pilgrimsby…