Re-thinking Thanksgiving: A Native American Perspective on an American Holiday

Re-thinking Thanksgiving – A Native American Perspective on an American Holiday (for ages 8 to adult)

Perry Ground, a master storyteller and cultural educator from the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga Nation, will present a lively overview of the history of this often-misunderstood holiday. Based on the only primary source document that chronicles the “First Thanksgiving,” the presentation uses a True/False quiz format to share accurate and culturally appropriate information about the English settlers at Plymouth and the Wampanoag, the Native people who inhabited the area.

The presentation will discuss the actual events of 1621 in Plymouth, the relationship between the English settlers and the Wampanoag, and how this story became the holiday we know today.

Perry Ground is a Turtle Clan member of the Onondaga Nation of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy. He has been sharing his stories as a storyteller and cultural educator for over 25 years.

This program is made possible by the generous support of the Friends of the East Greenbush Community Library, a patron-supported non-profit organization.