This lively and engaging 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”, 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 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.

Perry Ground is a Turtle Clan member of the Onondaga Nation of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy. Perry has been a storyteller and educator for over 25 years and enjoys working with students of all ages to teach about the history & culture of Native Peoples.