Wampanoag

[flea]

Casper's class had a Thanksgiving Feast yesterday afternoon. Her class dressed in Native American costumes, and hers at least looked great. We sent in a daddy-sized white t-shirt on Friday, and over the weekend Mrs. E dyed them all brown. The kids cut fringes at the hem and sleeves (Mrs. Erb told me this part was hard and Casper was really determined) and decorated them with marker. Most kids just made dots but Casper drew symbols on the front. I'll get a picture when I can get her into it.

On the walk home yesterday Casper told me what they learned about Thanksgiving - about the Wampanoag tribe, and how one helpful one taught the Pilgrims how to survive, "before they became slaves". The things they teach these kids today! I am pretty sure when I was 5 the Pilgrim story was all about the helpful Indians and the harvest and the sharing and the happy cooperation and didn't mention the bad parts (wars and slavery, oh my). She said they saw a movie about it, and read a book in the library. I told her a little about Plimoth Plantation and she really dug the idea of going there. I remember visiting the 'Mayflower' in Plymouth when I was perhaps 8, with my grandparents, and getting into a conversation with one of the sailors who professed amazement at my red rain slicker ("Were you switched with a lobster?").

Comments

[dxmachina.livejournal.com]

"They don't show you the next scene where all the bison die and Squanto takes a musket ball in the stomach."

I went to see Plymouth rock once. It sure is a big rock.

[serrana.livejournal.com]

You might like to take a look at Waters, Kate, Giving Thanks: The 1621 Harvest Feast (New York: Scholastic Press, 2001), which is sufficiently historically accurate that it works for my compulsive self and sufficiently genocide-free so as not to give 5-year-olds nightmares.

[katie-m.livejournal.com]

When I visited the Mayflower, someone started in on me about whether I'd started sewing my trousseau yet. I was unamused. Even when I was wee, I had no patience for participatory theater.