Last night in my Thanksgiving wishes, I mentioned the Narragansetts as
being in the 1621 Thanksgiving, because that's what I had heard on TV a
little before. But even as I typed it, it didn't seem wright. I was
thinking wasn't it a different Indian nation - maybe Pasamaquody - but
no they were in a different area. On my way to bed I had the thouight
it must have been the Pequots and felt guilty as an amateur historian -
but not guilty enough to come back down and send another e-mail.
So, this AM I did some research and rediscovered that the 1621
Thanksgiving had been with Squanto, a Pawtuxet, who had already learned
English before the Pilgrims arrived, and some Wampanoags. My fleeting
memory of Pequots was based on the unfortunated massacre of Pequots in
association with the 1637 Thanksgiving - one of the many incidents in
the nation's history it's convenient to forget - much less pleasant then
the legend passed out in grade school.
But regardless how unsavory the 1637 Thanksgiving now seems, may your
2003 Thanksgiving be filled with savories, sweets, kindness, love, and
generate good memories for the future.