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Chapter 3: The Thanksgiving Feast (1621)

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Chapter 3:
The Thanksgiving Feast

mid-October
1621
Plimouth Plantations
Patuxet Lands

[Plimouth Plantation. The English Protestants. Squanto and Myles Standish is in with the group of English. 90 Wampanoags come up upon the 50 Plimouth English colonists who have survived.]

William Brewster (at an outdoor gathering/meeting): “I see a hideous and desolate wilderness, full of wild beasts and wild men. This island is a devilish place, a stronghold of Satan and his hellish fiends. God himself gave us this Patuxet land, which is why the corn crops were already growing, and all of the natives on this land, gone, or dead. Plymouth is God's Holy Land, and upon this rock, we shall spring forth, civilization.”

[The Wampanoag (Chief Massasoit + 90) come walking towards the Pilgrims, armed with 5 dead white-tailed deer, some dead ducks, and other food stuffs.]

Myles “Captain Shrimp” Standish, Squanto, William Bradford, and Governor John Carver are standing in the middle of town. At first, the Englishmen seem taken aback. The Pilgrims got all scared, and pulled out their guns and swords (carbines, blusterbuss, musket, and tomahawks).

Myles Standish: “Did you need all of their signatures?”

John Carver: “I only needed the Chief. That's all I called for. I'm not sure what all of this is about.”




Captain Shrimp: “I conveyed your wishes verbatim to Squanto, so maybe he just brought crew for protection.”

Carver: “When they come as friends, there's not much your 11 foot wall can do.”

Squanto: “I only told the Chief to come. I'm guessing he doesn't trust us.” … “I'll go see what he wants.”

Squanto rides out to Massasoit, and asks: “What is with bringing all of the Wampanoag people?”

Massasoit: “Well, I changed the plans.”



Squanto: “Well, what are your plans, exactly?”

Massasoit: “If the English want to make agreements, they should honor them, and we honor agreements on Turtle Island with 3 days of partying and feasting.”

Squanto: “How do you feel about me hanging out with the English?”

Massasoit: “Squanto, you are a Patuxet. You were never mine to begin with. If you're happier with the English, it's fine by me. Some of my younger warriors do not like what you're doing, but from my perspective, you do what you will. Just like you are not mine, you are also not theirs. You are your own person. Do as you please Squanto. As you will.”

Squanto: “Thank you Chief Massasoit.”

Massasoit: “I just offer you one piece of advice, and take it with a grain of salt, or from a wise old sage. I respect your new found position of power, but do try to stay humble. The best way to test a man's character is to give him some power. Stay humble Squanto! Stay humble!”

Squanto rides back, and tells Bradley: “They brought their people to guarantee Massasoit's protection. They also said that they plan on staying for 3 days.”

Carver: “3 days!?! What in tarnations for?”

Squanto: “Well, Governor, you know. To have fun with us. To get to know us. For enjoyment and merriment. To be jolly and merry. In Indian country, we have immense celebrations with family, and the Wampanoags are now saying that the English and them are family.”

Bradford: “Each Pilgrim already dranks at least a half gallon of beer a day, which they prefer even to water. Drunkenness is our colony's notorious sin. Drunkenness and uncleanliness and rampant sodomy.”

Carver looks out at Chief Massasoit and his Wampanoags bringing 5 White-tailed Deer (venison), Eel, geese, duck, shellfish, swan, passenger pigeons, Corn, fish, beans, squash, and berries for dinner. 

Carver (sighs): “Well considering our corn didn't grow, and Squanto was able to raise 20 acres, and I'm about sick of eating mussels, fish, clams and lobsters all of the damn time... maybe we can learn how to cook us some white-tailed deer, and then we'll learn how to hunt them. So, they're already here, eating for 3 days of their food in exchange for them giving us their land, is still an asymmetrical agreement. We win in all ways. Let's celebrate!”

Massasoit approaches William Bradford, smiling, with his right hand up. Chief Massasoit and William Bradley uneasily greet each other.

Carver: “What, no Turkey? No Pumpkin Pie? Where's the Cranberry Sauce?”

Massasoit: “What?”

Carver: “I'm just kidding.” (laughs)

Massasoit (Wampanoag/Pokanoket): “Since only half of you Englishmen survived the first Winter, we only had to bring half of the necessary food.” (Massasoit laughs; Bradford stops laughing; groans instead)

John Carver asks Massasoit: “Yes, yes. I understand that. Well, then you are sure, then, that you have come in peace, and we can sign a peace treaty?”

Massasoit answers in the affirmative.

Massasoit: “We would also like to get the corn you took out of our fields back.”

Carver: “Yes of course. And we would like our tools back.”

Massasoit: “Of course. If I can find anything of yours, it will be given back to you.”

Carver: “I believe we may have a few prisoners of yours too.”

Massasoit: “We have brought your Englishmen back today too.”

Carver: “Great! … So then, we agree that we will not attack each other, or steal from each other. We will hold accountable any rogue criminals who attacks or steals from us. If either of us are in an unjust war, we will aid the other. We also will not carry weapons into each others villages. Correct?”

Massasoit: “Of course.”

Carver: “Then let's get down to business.”

Carver pulls out the Peace Treaty, and a pen, and gets Massasoit to sign his name to it. Carver does the same. They sign two copies, one for each party.

Massasoit: “This is a military alliance as well as a land contract.”

Carver: “I understand. You have my word.”

Massasoit: “There's an English expression that says a verbal contract is only good if you write it down.”

Carver: “Well, you have my word, as well as my signature now... here's your copy, and now, we're finished! Now... let's feast!”

[There was no forks or knives then, so everybody was eating with their fingers. Captain Standish sat at one end of a long table and the Chief Massasoit sat at the other end. Many Wampanoag people were sitting on mats and furs spread on the ground. The Indian women sat together with the Indian men to eat. The Pilgrim women, however, stood quietly behind the table and waited until after their men had eaten.]

Myles Standish: “This here sure is some good ole corn! This striped bass is the best! Bluefish! Cod! Well golly! Thank ya Indians for bringing it to us! Our harvests haven't been any good, and we sure do appreciate your hospitality. We hope you enjoy the way we prepared the geese, ducks, fish, corn meal bread, journey cake, and succotash!”

Massasoit: “Yes, yes. It was prepared immaculately... I'm a big perplexed by one thing about you people.”

Standish: “You people?”

Massasoit: “Yeah. I'm just curious as to how come you Englishman do not learn our language, and learn our culture, and assimilate yourselves into our ways of life. Nobody owns the ground, or the sky, or the sea, or the rivers, streams, or the air we breathe. Sure you are our guest here on our lands, but we would not expect you to allow us to dominate over you, and dictate how you should live and behave, if we visited you in the Netherlands, where you originally came from. You Englishmen do not learn Algonquin. You Englishmen do not learn the ways of the Buffalo. You do not act in concert with nature. You Englishmen box yourselves in, on tiny plots of ground, instead of enjoying all of this space, and liberty.”

William Bradford: “Well, we will need to learn your superior agricultural techniques for our very survival, that's for certain... I have a joke for you. What do you call somebody who knows two languages?”

Massasoit: “Bi-lingual.”

Bradford: “What do you call somebody who knows three languages?”

Massasoit: “Tri-lingual.”

Bradford: “What do you call somebody who knows 1 language?”

Massasoit: “I don't know.”

Bradford: “An Englishman.” (Massasoit chuckles) “We Englishmen do not learn other cultures because we believe ours to be superior. We're the kind of Englishmen that even believe that we're even too good for England. We have our piece of land. The land you call Patuxet had no Patuxet Indians living on it, so that would mean Patuxet is ours to begin with. We hold legal standing on those grounds alone. But in addition to the Wampanoag-Plimouth peace treaty of 1621, we now have acknowledgment of our God inherent right to live on this continent, this Turtle Island, as yall call it.”

Massasoit: “That's right you do. I just hope you do not commit to hypocrisy as you continue on. Also, do not forget, that your beloved Squanto, is a Patuxet.”

Bradford: “We are focused on surviving, and profiting. We are here as a city on the hill. We have a focused resolve. Plimouth Plantations is a beacon for all those who believe in freedom. We have a corporate charter with London, so we are here on a mission bigger than just ourselves.”

Massasoit: “You have other masters besides yourself to serve? Where are they at? In lands faraway? That is something we natives do not understand.”

Bradford: “When you want to learn Christianity, about being obedient to God, then we'll talk about whose systems are better.”

Massasoit: “It seems to be that what your God wants is precisely what you want, and you want it all.”

William Brewster: “And with that, I'd just like to say that the good Lord has bestoyed upon us Great Blessings. He has given us a Land Contract that we as equals have agreed to, and today, we have all of this abundance; a cornucopia of food and comraderie and friendship. Let's all gather together, and give prayers of thanks for our great Lord's blessing.”

John Carver: “This conversation has gone downhill. We will commit tomorrow to be for a Prayer of Thanksgiving.”

Brewster: “Okay. Tomorrow it shall be, a day of prayer, amongst us Christians, of Thanksgiving.”

Carver: “I mean, sure that was an important treaty, but the real work is ahead of us. This is hardly a day to declare a Thanksgiving on.”

Brewster: “But the Indians have given us land.”

Carver: “This land was here for the taking. This is God's land, and nobody has a right to take us off of this land. Plus, all we have are their words. Just their signatures. They still have to live up to the agreement, and who knows if goddamned savages know how to keep their word.”

Brewster: “For that, you should pray 5 Our Fathers. I'm not really in the mood either. We will have a prayer of Thanksgiving over this, but I'm tired too. Let's do it tomorrow.”

Carver: “Tomorrow it shall be.”

Carver leaves the table.

As Massasoit is walking away, he comments to a Squaw:


Massasoit: “I fear I have just opened Pandora's box.”









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