A Possible Thanksgiving Television Show

A Possible Thanksgiving Television Show

By Joseph Parish

            Good evening ladies, gentlemen, my name is Joseph Parish and today I would like to whet your appetite on a proposed fall series television show. With Thanksgiving Day now upon us this series would appeal to the majority of Colonial American history buffs. I would like to propose that the title of this series is “Food for thought – the Thanksgiving Show.” We would start our program out with some historical information on the Pilgrim society and how the Indians perceived them.

            I feel this topic is important since each year we celebrate a holiday while many people fail to understand the true significance of that day in November. Thanksgiving is more that a large traditional feast with loved ones and friends or a special four-day week from work. It was a spiritual moment at a time when the colonial settlers felt blessed and were humbled for their safe voyage to the new world and the brotherhood reflected with their new friends, the Wampanoag Indians. It was a plea to their supreme being to bless their endeavors in the new land and to make their labors fruitful. In short, it was a moment of gratitude and thankfulness for what they have received or was it? American history is usually fabricated in a positive light in order to make it easier to swallow, but let’s discuss how the Indian saw this event.

            Americas first Thanksgiving was not an elaborate autumn harvest feast nor was it a holiday, but merely an accidental gathering of Indians and Pilgrims. Since the trip on the Mayflower resulted in 46 deaths of the original 102 travelers, it was the Native Americans who helped the Pilgrims survive the brutal winter. It was a Native American named Squanto of the Pawtuxet tribe who taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate corn, extract the maple syrup from trees, catch fish and how to avoid poisonous plants. This is where the two tales separate. As a result of the pilgrim’s successful harvest they were in full celebration mode and planned a day of thanksgiving by shooting guns and canons into the air. These noises alerted the Indians who were unaware of what was going on. Massasoit, the local tribal chief assembled 90 of his best warriors and arrived at Plymouth well prepared to engage the pilgrims should it be necessary.

            Upon arrival a translator explained what the pilgrims were celebrating. The Indians in turn camped nearby to ensure that this was actually the case. As they camped, they hunted deer, ducks, geese, and fish. The first Thanksgiving lasted three days and since the natives were used to walking through Plymouth they would stop and eat some of the pilgrim’s food from the table. At no time were there mutual sittings where the two groups ate together as one assembly. Today, Native Americans tend to take issue with how our current Thanksgiving story is portrayed. Their claim is that the narrative is deceptive by indicating a positive relation between the Indians and the Pilgrims since the tale fails to account for the long, bloody conflicts between the two groups.

            It was a simple decision as to why I would desire to produce a show in favor of the Thanksgiving holiday. I feel strongly that we should view both sides of the thanksgiving story and not just assume that one or the other is correct. We cannot believe that the inclusion of alternate perspective negates or invalidates the views of the Pilgrims or those of the Indians. It would not be contradictory to assume that both of these perspectives represented a reality from either group. The Pilgrims viewed the feast as a gesture of brotherhood while the Wampanoag saw it as a mission of suspicion.  In presenting this show I would feel we can represent both views equally. I foresee this show as having a positive impact upon our nation as a whole by revealing the true meaning of thanksgiving. I submit this proposal to any producing agency, and if accepted, I look forward to some great reviews. Thank you and have a nice day.

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