True meaning of thanksgiving for native americans
Biblical meaning of thanksgiving.
The pilgrims didn't invite Native Americans to a feast.True meaning of thanksgiving for native americans
Why the Thanksgiving myth matters.
Paula Peters remembers learning about the pilgrims' arrival in North America in elementary school, the backstory behind Thanksgiving Day.
As the teacher explained how "friendly Indians" came to help settlers arriving on the Mayflower, Peters was excited to hear about her own history in the classroom.
She's a citizen of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe who grew up to become an independent scholar of the history of the Wampanoag, who have inhabited present-day Massachusetts and Eastern Rhode Island for more than 12,000 years, according to the tribe.
"As a kid, I'm thinking to myself, 'This is great.
She's talking about me, and she's talking about my history,'" Peters told USA TODAY in an interview this month.
But her wonder was squashed when a classmate asked what happened to those friendly Indians after Thanksgiving.
"They all died," the teacher said.
Peters remembers being shocked at the