Our Multicultural Diversity & Inclusion Perspectives (MDIP) Coordinator has a special message for Thanksgiving:
I love Thanksgiving! It’s a wonderful time of the year to spend time with family and friends and remind ourselves of all the things we have to be thankful for. As homeschoolers, it’s also a wonderful opportunity to really explore history with our children, learn more about the Wampanoag tribe who helped the Pilgrims survive their early years, and teach empathy and understanding for others as we explore both the Pilgrim and Native American perspectives on the first harvest, which we now know as Thanksgiving. Below are some resources to help you get started on your explorations. Enjoy!
-Darcy Howard
Investigate the history of Thanksgiving from the Wampanoag perspective
- You Are the Historian Game: Investigating the First Thanksgiving
- A Story of Survival: The Wampanoag and the English
- American Indian Perspectives on Thanksgiving
- 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving
- Rethinking Thanksgiving Celebrations
- Harvest Ceremony: Beyond the Thanksgiving Myth
Learn more about the Wampanoag tribe
- Article – Who Are the Wampanoag?
- Video – Wampanoag Youth on Thanksgiving (MS/HS – mature content – preview before showing younger children)
- Video – History of the Mashpee Wampanoag Meeting House
- Video: The Wampanoag Way
Read a book
- 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving by Catherine O’Neill Grace
- Clambake: A Wampanoag Tradition by Russell M. Peters (and watch a video about Wampanoag clambakes)
- Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp
- We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Tracy Sorell
Create a Thanksgiving Recipe from a Native American Chef
Learn about the National Day of Mourning
- National Day of Mourning webpage
- National Day of Mourning Facebook updates – the event will be live-streamed, Nov 25, 9 am – 12 PST
- Learn About National Day of Mourning
We hope everyone enjoys their Thanksgiving break!
