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Re-Thinking Thanksgiving: A Native American View
November 22, 2025 @ 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Re-Thinking Thanksgiving: A Native American View
Jamestown Settlement
November 22, 2025 from 2:30 – 4 p.m.
At 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 22, master storyteller Perry Ground, a Turtle Clan member of the Onondaga Nation, presents “Re-Thinking Thanksgiving: A Native American View on an American Holiday” at Jamestown Settlement.
This lively presentation will give an overview of the history of this very misunderstood holiday. Based on the only primary source document that chronicles the first thanksgiving and using a quiz-style format, participants will learn accurate and culturally appropriate information about the English settlers at Plymouth and the Wampanoag, the Native people who inhabited that area.
The presentation will discuss the actual events of 1621 in Plymouth, the relationship between the English settlers and the Wampanoag and how this story became the holiday we know today. The concept of thanksgiving held by many Native Americans will be emphasized throughout.
Although they were not present in Plymouth in 1621, connections to the Haudenosaunee concepts of thanksgiving will be discussed so participants will understand how native people view Thanksgiving today.
Ground is a Turtle Clan member of the Onondaga Nation of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy. He has been a storyteller and educator for over 25 years and enjoys working with people of all ages to teach about the history and culture of Native peoples. The program is included with Jamestown Settlement museum admission. More Info
