Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story tells the story of Thanksgiving from a Native perspective, deepening our understanding of the history and traditions related to this celebration. A foreword introduces readers to the time and setting with which most Americans are familiar: a 1621 harvest feast in Plymouth, Massachusetts, initiated by settlers widely known as Pilgrims. Further notes deepen our awareness of the many years before the newcomers arrived, during which the First Peoples (the Wampanoag people of this area) hunted, fished and cultivated essential crops, particularly a trio of crops known as the Three Sisters (Corn, Beans, and Squash). Readers learn a number of words in the language Wampanoag people speak (Wôpanâak), used by the grandmother who tells a story within the story: words for grandmother, corn, dwelling, foods, Ousamequin (a leader known as Massasoit) and Tisquantum (a man known as Squanto).
As young Quill and Maple accompany their grandmother gathering foods for lunch, she relates the story of Keepunumuk--the time of the harvest. Seagull and Weeâchumun (the Sister named Corn) notice new people arriving on the shores of their homeland. Over two winters, along with Fox, they wonder if the newcomers are to be trusted. The seasons change. The newcomers search for seeds. The First Peoples, observing them, worry the newcomers will not know what to do with the seeds. With springtime, the animals and plants of the region decide to help the newcomers with their crop-planting, manifested in the help of their leaders who work with the newcomers. When the newcomers hold a feast to celebrate their successful harvest, some of the First Peoples join them. As grandmother’s story ends, Quill and Maple understand how important their ancestors’ deep reverence for the creatures of land, sea and sky was to the newcomers’ sustenance and survival.
The book ends with further information about the geography of the Mashpee Wampanoag people, settlers and colonization, Wampanoag storytelling, the current recognition of the Day of Mourning, and the tradition of creating a Spirit Plate as part of giving thanks. Authors Danielle Greendeer (a citizen of the Mashpee Wampanoag Nation), Anthony Perry (a Chikasaw citizen), and Garry Meeches Sr. (Anishinaabe) in presenting a thoughtful, resonant book that places First Peoples at the heart of a holiday celebrated by most Americans. Ages 4-9. Charlesbridge, 2022.
Further information for curious readers:
Reclamation of the Wôpanâak language: https://www.wlrp.org
The National Day of Mourning held on the U. S. Thanksgiving holiday: http://www.uaine.org/
