The Real History of Thanksgiving and Its Roots In Interpretation

Thanksgiving is often linked to the story of Mayflower pilgrims and Native Americans sharing a harvest feast. However, what’s usually omitted is the role Indigenous interpreters played in making that gathering possible.

Although interpreters helped establish early communication for the struggling pilgrims, what's also omitted is that the idealized tale of lasting peace and cooperation between Native peoples and European colonists was short-lived, and, in truth, never fully real.

In celebrating what was truly a miraculous story, for which we should give thanks, we must also acknowledge the brutal and painful truth that comes with this story, in which, ultimately, Native Americans were brutally oppressed, exploited, killed, forcefully assimilated, and driven from their lands by colonial settlers. While most Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, most Native Americans observe a National Day of Mourning, which we also observe.

This blog uncovers the real history of Thanksgiving, focusing on the role of a few key Native American interpreters and the contrasting themes of gratitude and grief that surround its history. Learn with us the story of these interpreters who were critically instrumental in facilitating peaceful relations that ultimately saved the Mayflower pilgrims as they faced starvation and the sad breakdown of relations that eventually ensued.

Dire Circumstances for the Settlers of Plymouth Rock

Many people don’t know that the Mayflower pilgrims were on the brink of extinction not long after they arrived in Plymouth. The “New World” was much harsher and filled with more challenges than they could ever have known. Within the first winter after their arrival, half of the original 102 emigrants died.

The soil was much different from that of their home country, so the crops they brought (mainly rye, barley, wheat, and other vegetables) failed. To make matters worse, the winter was harsher than they were prepared for. The perilous ocean crossing had left them already weakened and malnourished, and diseases ran rampant amongst them.

As the settlers struggled to survive, they often caught glimpses of Native Americans who, after some initial skirmishes, for the most part kept their distance. In reality, Native Americans had every reason to feel hostility towards European settlers, many of whom had come decades before the Mayflower pilgrims and had kidnapped and sold Natives into slavery. 

The land in which the pilgrims had settled was originally dominated by the Wampanoag (“People of the First Light”) Confederacy, a union of several tribes in the area who had lived in the land for over 10,000 years.  The “New World” was not “new” to them.

In the early part of the 17th century, the Wampanoag had seen European-brought diseases reduce their numbers drastically. This reduction in their numbers meant that they were now having to pay tribute to other larger tribes who had not been as heavily affected by the epidemics.

The Wampanoag were led by a man named Ousamequin, better known as Massasoit, who was the grand sachem of the confederacy. Massasoit’s initial reaction to the settlers was to drive them out, and he sought out signs from the spirits of the land to justify this effort. But the signs didn’t seem to come.

As time wore on, Massasoit also saw that these, unlike many other Europeans who had come and pilfered resources and left, were different–these pilgrims intended to stay and live in the land. They also had access to weapons and other resources in which Massasoit surely saw as valuable.

Eventually, having been given no signs from the spirits of the land to support his initial desire to drive the settlers away, Massasoit decided to make peace and seek an alliance with the foreigners. But for that, he would need interpreters.

Samoset and Squanto - Indigenous Interpreters

Among Massasoit’s companions were two men who spoke English: Samoset, an Abenaki Native chief originally from what is present-day Maine, and Tisquantum, also known as Squanto, who was of the Patuxet Tribe.

Samoset had learned some English from interactions with European fishermen and sailors further north in his home region. Squanto had a much more brutal experience. Squanto was kidnapped by slavers, taken to Spain to be sold, only to be ransomed by Catholic friars who prioritized his “Christian education”. Whether they let him go freely or he escaped is unknown, but at some point, he found his way to England, where he worked as an interpreter and shipbuilder.

Eventually, he was able to voyage back to the Americas in 1619, although, to his great dismay, nearly all of his tribe had been decimated by plague and disease. He ultimately found his way to Massasoit and the Wampanoag and settled with them.

Massasoit decided to send Samoset to make first contact with the pilgrims, possibly because he mistrusted Squanto due to his friendly relations with the Europeans. Samoset is said to have marched boldly into the settlement and to have proclaimed, “Welcome, Englishmen! Do you have beer?” 

Samoset explained to them how he had learned English and that he had been sent as an emissary from the Wampanoag people. One of the settlers, Stephen Hopkins, prior to sailing on the Mayflower, had spent time in the Jamestown settlement, where he had learned some phrases in the Algonquian language that Samoset spoke.

Samoset stayed with Stephen in his home for several days. He explained to the Englishmen why the Natives had come to distrust them after Captain Hunt’s abduction of many Indigenous men, women, and children, and he expressed that he could help negotiate peace with them.

Shortly thereafter, Samoset brought Squanto, who worked diligently as both an interpreter and a cultural broker to foster peaceful relations, teach the pilgrims what crops to grow and how to grow them, and initiate trade. Eventually, using Squanto as an interpreter, Massasoit was able to forge a treaty between the pilgrims of Plymouth Rock and the Wampanoag people.

This alliance and cooperation are largely credited with saving the ragged settlers from starvation and allowing them to prosper. Although the friendly relations didn’t last long, this story of cooperation, of bridging linguistic and cultural divides, is certainly cause for celebration. 

What's the Real History of Thanksgiving?

That fall, the Pilgrims had their first successful harvest, a milestone made possible by the Wampanoags, who had taught them agricultural techniques like how to grow crops and use fish remains as fertilizer.

The Pilgrims held a “harvest feast” to celebrate. It lasted three days and would eventually become known as the first Thanksgiving.

Despite teaching them how to live on their land, the Wampanoag people were not invited. Massasoit and his men arrived only after hearing celebratory gunfire from the Pilgrims’ gathering, thinking it was an attack.

Once they learned it was a celebration, the Wampanoags contributed generously and brought five deer to the feast. The meal likely consisted of a variety of foods, including meat, fish, seafood, and cranberries from nearby bogs. However, it was probably not much like the imagery often presented this time of year and likely didn’t include turkey (or pie).

National Day of Mourning

The modern narrative of the 1621 feast gives the impression that the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags lived peacefully together. The truth is, where there may have been peace for many years, the following decades show a very different picture.

After the death of Massasoit in 1661, tensions began to rise as cultural differences grew and settlers ignored the treaty he had established. As more settlers began to arrive in the following decades, demand for land increased with the growth of their population, and they slowly started taking over Wampanoag lands. 

By 1675, all friendly relations between the settlers and the Wompanoag were snuffed out after several Wampanoag Natives were sentenced to death for killing a “Christian Indian” who had warned the Plymouth colony of an impending attack. King Philip’s War (1675–1676), one of the deadliest conflicts in American history (per capita), had devastating consequences for the Wampanoag, who were largely defeated, killed, or enslaved.

Unfortunately, this breakdown of peaceful relations and brutal war is a stark contrast to the holiday that purports to represent them. By 1789, Massachusetts passed a law making it illegal and punishable by death to teach a Wampanoag to read or write. This same brutal oppression took place across all of the United States as more and more settlers poured into the land. Native land was seized, their culture suppressed, and they were often forced to convert to Christianity. 

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Indian boarding schools were established in which Native children were taken from their homes and forcibly “assimilated”. They were forbidden from speaking their languages or practicing their customs, and were brutally punished for disobeying.

Other such atrocities against Native Americans and their effects have persisted even to this day. Now, there are over 165 critically endangered Native American Languages in the United States, and it’s estimated that only 20 of those will remain by 2050. 

For many Native Americans, Thanksgiving is a reminder of this painful history. The Native American community continues to advocate for an Indigenous perspective to be incorporated into school curricula and public discourse.

Since 1970, the United American Indians of New England have organized the National Day of Mourning at Plymouth Rock, a day of remembrance and solidarity to honor their ancestors and raise awareness about the truth and impact of European settlers like the Pilgrims.

Thanksgiving Today

The inexcusable tragedies brought about by inhumane atrocities over centuries by colonial settlers can’t be fixed or made right–ever.  Holidays like Thanksgiving, a national month of recognition, or even a presidential apology, make little headway in repairing the damage done that is continuing to affect generations of people all across the U.S., and for that, we should all grieve. 

Yet, the spirit of Thanksgiving, or perhaps the “idea” behind it, of shared human connection that transcends linguistic barriers, cultural differences, and differing worldviews, is something for which we should all strive. The possibility of learning someone else’s language, shifting our perspectives to perceive the world around us in a new light, and seeking connection through understanding is a power we should all be pursuing. The gift of sharing knowledge, resources, and care to others, even and especially to those from different backgrounds than our own, is a priceless gift that has the potential to alter the course of history. And while we can’t change history, we can work to shape the future. 

As we give thanks this year,  let's also take time to learn and reflect on the real story behind this holiday. Let us confront the uncomfortable truths beyond the “fairy tale” depiction, and work to ensure that we reach out in fellowship to all those around us to try and make that story more of a reality in our own lives and communities today.

And, finally, as you eat your Thanksgiving dinners with your families, raise a glass to interpreters and translators all around the world who work to bridge the gap between different languages and cultures. As we’ve seen from this story, interpreters truly have the power to change the world!

Maya Bridge - A Leading Advocate For Latin American Indigenous Language Access In The U.S.

Since 2021, Maya Bridge Language Services has been advocating for increased access for speakers of Mayan and other Latin American and global Indigenous languages here in the United States. Maya Bridge is a mission-driven, niche interpretation agency offering 24/7 on-demand services for over 100 Indigenous languages from Latin America, as well as African, Asian, Pacific Island, Native American, and other Indigenous languages.

We have worked diligently to mobilize, train, and evaluate a network of hundreds of interpreters both in the U.S. and throughout the world to ensure that speakers of Indigenous languages can fully understand and be understood in important situations like healthcare, legal settings, in disaster and emergency response scenarios, and in receiving access to government programs. 

Contact us to schedule a meeting or call us anytime, day or night, at (801) 753-8568. 

About the Author

Jace Norton is a Q'eqchi' interpreter and linguist with an extensive background in the Q'eqchi' language. Norton lived and worked among the Q'eqchi' people from 2010-2012, created a language learning guide for Q'eqchi' in 2014, and worked in Q'eqchi' translation and interpretation from 2017-2021. In 2021, Norton founded Maya Bridge Language Services and is now a leading advocate for Mayan language access in the US.