Happy Thanksgiving!!!

This is the story as our ancestors told it:

Big canoes with massive white cloths which could capture the wind came into view along the coast one day. They were built of wood and held many sickly looking pale skinned people from across the ocean which had separated us from them. There were three of these ships in two years. Many died from their travel across the ocean and others died during the winters, yet two hundred survived. One of my ancestors learned to speak to these odd people. They wore mostly black with white clothing, made of plants where as at the time we wore clothing made of animal skins. They made wooden structures which they called a 'fort'. Those who survive their travels and the winters became hardy. They would not have survived without our help.

A hunting party from our tribe was attacked and most were killed by some of these pale faced people. Our chief and the members of the tribe were outraged. It was decided that the people who were responsible would be punished. At this time there were many tribes. We were the Wampanoag, the tribe which now rules the world.

The pilgrims, as they called themselves, suggested that we get together for a feast to celebrate our friendship and to give praise to their God our our Great Spirit. We had many gods but only one Great Spirit. My people were still filled with anger and pain over the murders of our brethren. We intended to get even with these horrid people. The appointed day came and we greeted them as they came into our camp. Quickly we killed the ones who over twenty-five years of age, and disarmed the others. Our women gathered the children who were too young to care for themselves. There now remained only just under a hundred to deal with. Almost eighty of those were staked to the ground, men and female. They were screaming, wailing, and crying in their foreign tongue which only a few of our people could understand. They pleaded and begged for mercy. With the twenty which remained, we stripped them of their clothing, erected poles, hung them upside down by their feet, and cut their throats. Their ages were approximately from four to twenty-five. They died quickly. Then we skinned, butchered, roasted, and ate them. We skinned all the dead for their hides and smoked and cured the meat. We thanked the Great Spirit for our victory.

Ten of the nearly eighty which remained were kept as slaves. They taught us how to make and use their weapons, and to sail in their big cannoes. They also taught us their language and helped us learn to write our language down using their symbols. The remainder of the prisoners we ate over the following week. The younger children were inducted into the tribe. The slaves also became members of the tribe. Whenever a new ship would arrive, we would kill most of them, skin and eat them. It was believed then that the spirit, knowledge, and strength of the people who were eaten was absorbed by those who ate them. We realize now that this is just superstition.

A neighboring tribe was brutally attacked by these white people and we joined with them and killed almost all except the few that we made slaves. Our people joined with tribes all along the coast who were experiencing similar problems with these alien peoples. They came from England, France, and Spain. We united with a tribe which had been conquered by the French along another coast and defeated them. Next we joined with the Apaches and Comanches who were fighting with the Spanish. Soon the Cherokee and the Sioux peacefully joined our tribe. Our rule now stretched from the rising sun to the setting sun. We called the Northern continent America. Soon the Southern continent began joining us tribe by tribe and it became South America. Most of the Europeans were killed or taken as slaves. Some were inducted into our tribe.

In 1910 according to the European calender, War broke out in Europe as Germany began trying to take control of Europe. We tried to stay out of that war, but after Germany successfully conquered Europe they attacked the Eastern Coast. We declared war. The fighting was fierce, but our unity, numbers, and determination finally won out. Millions died on both sides. Germany surrendered and the other European nations peacefully joined our tribe. Slavery and cannabalism were outlawed at this time. In time, after that Asia, Africa, and Australia peacefully joined our tribe. The world was at peace and under our rule.

This then is how the world came to be peacefully united members of the Wampanoag tribe. The Great Spirit watches over us and all are happy. This is why we celebrate Thanksgiving and praise the Great Spirit daily.