The first inaccuracy of this story is that the Native Americans were invited to the feast. While there were accounts of 90 Wampanoag people in attendance none of the explanations point to them being invited. It is believed that the leader, Ousamequin, was trying to form an alliance with the Pilgrims, not out of kindness, but to save his people from further harm.

The next inaccuracy is that their relationship was peaceful. From their first encounter, the settlers stole their winter supplies and exposed them to diseases that they had not built up immunity to. These actions resulted in the Native Americans starving and dying from diseases they had no treatments for. At this time it was also a common practice for Europeans to come to America, capture the Native people, and bring them back to Europe to sell into slavery.

For decades following, violence went on between the Europeans and Native Americans. One example is the horrific Pequot Massacre, which occurred in 1636 when a white man was found murdered in a boat. The Pequot tribe was blamed for the death and the settlers burned their village in retaliation. The 400 men, women, and children who escaped the fire were attacked and killed. In the days following the massacre the Governor of Plymouth wrote, "For the next 100 years, every Thanksgiving Day ordained by a Governor was in honor of the bloody victory, thanking God that the battle had been won."

It is important for those celebrating Thanksgiving to understand the real meaning behind it. While enjoying time with your family and eating tons of food, this Thursday it is important to remember the Indigenous people who lost their lives at the hands of the Pilgrims. For Native Americans it is not a celebration, it's a National Day of Mourning.

"The story of Thanksgiving and the National Day of Mourning." https://www.mayflower400uk.org/education/who-were-the-pilgrims/2019/july/the-story-of-thanksgiving-and-the-national-day-of-mourning/. Accessed 22 Nov. 2021.

"Truthsgiving: The True History of Thanksgiving | DoSomething.org." https://www.dosomething.org/us/articles/truthsgiving-the-true-history-of-thanksgiving. Accessed 23 Nov. 2021.

"Everything You Learned About Thanksgiving Is Wrong." 21 Nov. 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/us/thanksgiving-myths-fact-check.html. Accessed 23 Nov. 2021.

"The Myths of the Thanksgiving Story and the Lasting Damage They ...." 26 Nov. 2019, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/thanksgiving-myth-and-what-we-should-be-teaching-kids-180973655/. Accessed 23 Nov. 2021.

"6 Thanksgiving Myths and the Wampanoag Side of the Story." 14 Nov. 2017, https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/6-thanksgiving-myths-share-them-with-someone-you-know. Accessed 23 Nov. 2021.