The Indigenous Stories Glossed Over In The Typical 'First Thanksgiving' Story

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The commonly-told version of the first Thanksgiving story leaves out a lot: The indigenous Wampanoag people who lived in a complex society long before the Mayflower arrived at Plymouth Rock; Squanto escaping bondage in Spain before becoming an emissary to the Pilgrims; and the long legacy of violent displacement that followed.

Paula Peters, a writer and a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, still lives near where the Pilgrims made landfall on her ancestral homeland. She talks about how the 1621 feast fits into history.

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This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Ayen Bior. It was edited by Ashley Brown, Fatma Tanis, Jonaki Mehta and Lee Hale. Our executive producer is Cara Tallo.