Thanksgiving  

(contributed through ISI network by Ellen Coble (International Campus) CONNECTIONS" www.intlcampusconnections.com  678 641 8104 (cell) ellencoble@yahoo.com)

Some info about  Squanto a native American who helped The Pilgrims (who began our U.S. Thanksgiving tradition) survive their first brutal year in America when 50% of them died :

1. Squanto learned English in the 1600’s as an international. He lived in three different parts of the world. He traveled to England and to Spain, far away from home, where he learned other cultures.

2. Squanto contributed to U.S. history, not just because he lived with the Pilgrims and helped them survive the winter, teaching them how to grow crops, but he was also a translator, guide, and helped to negotiate peace treaties between the English and different tribes -allowing the English to continue to settle in the New World.

3. In terms of character, the story shows the positive way Squanto responded to new cultures, to suffering, and to mistreatment.

4.Even though Squanto was from another world culturally , Squanto had so much in common with the Pilgrims - spiritually and emotionally He also had left behind friends in England (and in Spain) and had lost family and friends  just as the Pilgrims had. He shared their faith in God, and  had been treated unjustly as they had. They also both struggled, with much hardship,  to get to the place where they thought they should go . On arrival they both found more  hardship but eventually found friendship- and  nice surprises that enabled them to keep going with God’s guidance.

Squanto’s story is a story is of God’s sovereignty and how God guided Squanto’s life. Squanto was captured from what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts and is taken away from his home in a ship- to be sold as a slave in Spain, but Spanish monks bought his freedom. Then he was kindly helped by the monks to get to England so he could return to the New World on another ship.

5. On arrival, he found that his family and his whole village had been killed because of the white man’s disease, so he had yet another reason to be hostile towards the English. But when the Pilgrims arrived to Plymouth in 1621, he didn’t lead the other Indians against them but became their guide, translator, and negotiated peace between the Pilgrims and the other Indian tribes. God had brought Squanto, the foreigner and sojourner, to the Pilgrims- whose name means foreigner, alien, or wanderer (Hebrews 11:9-16). Here he found people who had the same Christian faith that had been taught to him in Spain.

He decided to help them even though other Englishmen had done him so much harm. Instead of bitterness and hostility towards all of the English, Squanto’s story is also a story of forgiveness.  He forgave and went on to help those who were new to the region, as he had been helped by the Spanish and the English –to be freed from slavery and to be helped in crossing the Atlantic to get back home. 

Governor William Bradford said Squanto was like Joseph of the Bible – sold as a slave, but God had a plan for him. Squanto kept the Pilgrims from starving to death, and played a huge part in American history. He was the answer to the prayers of Pilgrims for help, and he was used by God to help the Pilgrims survive in a land where they could worship freely and where their church could grow.  As an international who learned English and the Christian faith, and as he traveled to different cultures in 1620, what an example he is to international students -and to us !

Resources:

·         DVD: William Bradford, includes the last half of the story of Squanto., published by NEST Family Entertainment (Animated Hero Classics), with activity book, 30 minutes, with English and Spanish subtitles, My recommendation to show this DVD on Thanksgiving, to promote discussion about the history behind Thanksgiving, and about the life of Squanto and the intent of the Pilgrims to be able to worship God freely. The last half of Squanto’s life is included. You can see a clip at:  http://www.nestentertainment.com/william-bradford-dvd_p42944.aspx  and you can order there  ($8)

·         DVD: Squanto a Warrior’s Tale, Disney movie, very exciting and action-packed, in general it’s true but not every detail. You’d need to know which parts are true.Good for teenagers and older children.

Websites: 

·         http://www.joyfulheart.com/thanksgiving/squanto.  -an article and a play on the story of Squanto

·         http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/ --an interactive website about the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians sponsored by Plimouth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts. You’d be taking a virtual tour of the lifestyle of the English and the Wampanoags in the 17th century, as you would see them if you went to this ”living museum” today. There are interviews with the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims.

Books:

·         ***** Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving by Metaxas, children’s book, from a Christian perspective

·         American Holidays by Bill Perry

·         1621 A New Look at Thanksgiving by Grace and Bruchac - with Plymouth Plantation, National Geographic Society

·         Squanto’s Journey  by Bruchac, children’s book

·         Giving Thanks, the 1621 Harvest Feast by Waters, in cooperation with Plymouth Plantation

·         Celebrate Thanksgiving by Heiligman,  National Geographic

·         The Plymouth Thanksgiving by Weisbard, has a list of passengers on the Mayflower.  Each name could be put on a nametag and given to each person who comes to the dinner