Kids Book Read Aloud: Squanto's Journey- Story of the First Thanksgiving, Joseph Bruchac & Greg Shed

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squanto

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journey

the

story

of the

first

thanksgiving

by

joseph

brushak Illustrated by Greg Shedd My story is strange and true I was born in the so-called English year 1590. My family were leaders of the Patuxet people and I too was raised to lead but in 1614 I was taken to Spain against my will Now it's 4 21 and I'm back in my homeland my name is

squanto

i would like to tell you my story i look up and see a heron flying above me heading towards the falls that gave their name to our people we were the patuxent the people of the falls our clear fields were not empty of people then like them It was when the English pilgrims landed on the frozen moon of 1620.

Only six winters have passed, but so many things have changed. I remember that day in 1614. The white men had often come to our bay to fish and trade, they had brought us fine things in exchange for beaver and deer skins this time when their great ships sailed like the wings of giant birds anchored on the high seas. This time it was different John Smith was one of the English captains that he and his officer Thomas Dermer traded with us I like the way Dermer shook my hand Smith had learned a lot from dealing with other Indians in the summer land of Virginia.

He knew we valued honor. The other captain was Thomas Hunt after Smith left Hunt. He landed at Patuxent. He told us that he was friends with Smith. Come to a banquet on my ship. He said more than 20 of us came aboard to share food with friends but hunting was no friend he set sail taking us with him like captives left behind where our families our homes our people our lives were no longer ours soon we were crossing the wide salt waters the trip ended for a long time but my spirit did not abandon me I remembered that I was penis a man of courage I told stories to my people and urged them to stay strong the hunt took us to Malaga in the land of Spain there they sold us as slaves But men who served there lived the creator, they were the ones who called themselves brothers who freed us from our chains I learned more of their language I let them teach me their ways of thinking the great mystery I told them what I wanted most I wanted to go home with him With the help of the friar I went to England.

English ships usually sail into the sunset. I realized that if I could be useful to the English, maybe they would take me with them. It cost me a lot of work, but I learned the language well in March of the year they call 1619. I sailed back to new england alongside my friend thomas dermer, one of john smith's officers, our mutual memories were like the taste of good water, he told me that things were not well between my people from the

first

light and the English, and their ships were now being attacked when they reached the coast perhaps if I accompanied the English I could talk to the Indians and they could trade again in peace my heart felt like I was flying on the wings of an eagle as the ship He crossed the waves but he also feared what he might find where there were so many people, he said, telling me of a great disease in New England caused by white traders.

Now only these remain. He bent back all but two fingers, demonstrated when he said the illness had subsided. in patuxent like the blow of a war club only a few of my people survived my wife my children my parents and all those closest to me were gone I will not say their names now I will speak them again when my own feet climb the mountain further high and I walk along the path of the stars to greet them together thomas dermer and I did our job we made friendly contact with namasket and poconokit more than once my words saved the life of my English friend peace seemed to be within our reach but eppa now the powerful sacred kappa whack saw the english as if he were a deadly snake epinell two had been taken to england as slaves and brought back to act as a guide he had escaped and had sworn to always fight against the white men the exploits of other englishmen convinced to his people that he was right in the summer of 1620 when Thomas Dermer and I were talking about peace an English captain invited a group of Indians aboard his ship and suddenly the white men shot them down when we reached the island of Kappawack Epinau and their warriors attacked us many the english were killed thomas dermer was wounded with my help he was able to escape but they took me captive and handed me over to the poconokit as a prisoner that november when the mayflower reached the coast the poconocot observed that they did not approach the english if the poconogo would have done it If they had been stronger they could have attacked the white men, wiped them out or chased them away, but the poconokit were still weak from the great disease where before there were thousands, now there were hundreds, the strength of our people was so small now that the narragansett to the south.

The same ones who were not affected by the plague ordered the once proud Ponooka and Namasket to pay them homage. I spoke with Massasoit, the sachim of the Pocanookit, since the penis must, with respect and honor, befriend the English. I said: make them understand and support our people. Massasoit did not do it. listen at first he watched in silence during that winter then samuset came to visit he was a sachim of the pymaquit people who lived further up the coast he had traded a lot with the english he knew some of their language let me speak to the singer moniak he said to mesosoet nodding while he was speaking messissowa agreed the next day March 16, 1621 samoset entered the English settlement welcome English said in his language he showed them the two arrows in his hand one had a flint arrowhead the other had the arrowhead They took the arrows from him that symbolized what we offered them, whether war or peace.

The English put a coat over his shoulders to warm him. They invited him to one of his houses. They gave him small water and butter biscuits. Pudding and cheese. The food was so good. Samuset said I then laughed as he spoke I decided to spend the night when he left the next day he promised to return with a friend who spoke his language well so five days later on March 22 I walked with Samuset back to my own country. village once patuxent now was plymouth i looked around although much had changed i knew i had finally returned to the land of my home perhaps these men could share our land as friends i said to my brother at my side in the moons that followed there was a lot of work to do the poconokit freed me to be a guide and interpreter for the english not only did i act as an envoy between the english and our people also had many things to teach the whites about survival they knew little about hunting and almost nothing about planting, It had always been the Patuxent women's job to tend the crops while men like me hunted, but I had observed much in the years since my captivity.

I had seen in Newfoundland how the English learned from our people how to farm. grow corn use the small fish that come to our shores in large numbers I told the English bury those fish in the ground and they will feed the corn I showed them how to plant the seeds of corn and beans and crush them together on the hills I told them when It was the hoe moon, they listened well and worked hard. I came to see that these pilgrims could be our friends and we theirs together we could make our home in this land that was given to us by the creator of all things a good harvest was brought in this fall, some of their English crops have not done well, but the three sisters, corn, beans and pumpkin, have done well.

As I look at the beans growing around the corn stalks, I think about how our two people have become intertwined. I feel hope that our children in the coming seasons with our help the English will have learned enough about hunting and fishing to provide the food for a great feast like this, this feast for all our people now as we eat together I give thanks. I have seen more in my life than most men, whether Indian or English. I have seen both death and life come to this land that is given to both the English and the Indians.

I pray that there will be many more days like this to give thanks together in the years follow me I am squanto I am known by all who gather here english poconocot namasket even some of my own surviving patuxets I speak to you like a penis a man of honor I will never leave this land i give thanks for all our people the creator of all things author's note the story of the pilgrims and the first

thanksgiving

is familiar to every child in america yet the native american side of that story is rarely seen. story i have always been fascinated by the role played by native americans and especially the man known as tisquantum or squanto who helped the first colony of new england survive the guantos it is a story that i think is inspiring for both native readers and Non-natives, not only did Squanto escape slavery in Spain and make influential friends in England, but he was also able to find his way back home even though his closest friends and family had died from a plague introduced by The English became the interpreter and guide of the pilgrims.

It is no exaggeration to say that without Squanto the colony of Plymouth could have failed on the Guanta

journey

. It is an incredible saga of survival and acceptance. He was one of the first Native Americans to successfully live in the European and Indian worlds as a person of Native American descent from New England. The story of squanto has a special reverberation for me, however, being Indian doesn't mean you automatically know everything related to Native Americans every time I tell a story that comes from another Native nation. It is my responsibility to listen to the living voices of those native peoples.

One of my first inspirations for this story was my late friend Nana. poshament a Wampanoag scholar and historical interpreter a scholar and traditionalist respected in both worlds nana poshamet worked for many years on Plymouth Plantation the living history museum of the original colony of Massachusetts the precision and relaxed, very Indian atmosphere of the Wampanoag village which is now located next to plymouth The plantation is due to the integrity and commitment of people like Nana Poshament. Her own historical novel about squanto is now being edited by Linda Combs, another prominent Wampanoag scholar and defender of her nation's traditions.

Guantana's voyage could not have been written without her work and contributions. from other contemporary Wampanoag people like Russell Peters Fast Turtle, the late John Peters Slow Turtle, and many others who continue to stand up and speak on behalf of the Wallowa people Knee Needle Bach, thank you my friends, I also believe my sister Marge Bruschak for her extensive research into the true history of tisquantum and the daily lives of the Pilgrims and Wampanoag people of the early 17th century. Virtually all accounts of the first Thanksgiving story are marred by historical errors in depictions of the event, from the food served at the feast to the clothing worn.

By Pilgrims, Not Buckled Hats, Whenever I write a story about New England native history, I always turn first to Marge, who has been consulted by numerous historic towns, museums, and Indian nations, including the ancient town of Sturbridge , the Mohegan tribe, the historic Northampton plantation and Plymouth. Then there is the earth itself, our natives have always believed that the earth speaks to us when we listen to it. I have stood on the same ground where squanto walked three centuries ago, blowing the sea breeze into my face and smelling the smoke from cooking campfires. The same foods he would have eaten were being cooked in the traditional way while I was there.

I too heard the whisper of the earth, a song in the wind that reminds me that those ancient voices will never disappear for my Wampanoag brothers and sisters. Jb to cat lakota. cheyenne lakota and tongava nation steve tongva nations james red bear nation lakota and david gs nation patuxet glossary one of the divisions of the wampanoag peoples literally people of the falls panic a wampanoag man who has been initiated a panic is expected to be a man of great honor and courage that can act as an advisor to his nation Pocono kick one of the divisions of the Wampanoag peoples literally people of the clear land star path the milky way that is seen as a path to reach the afterlife walked by those who have dead sachem a village leader small water a drink prepared by the pilgrims songly sponiak the English word as said in Wabanaki wampanoag the general name applied to several related native peoples in the area of ​​present-day Massachusetts the literal translation is people of the first light you