Teaching ourselves about Native American history on Cape Cod
Cape Cod’s history is indelibly linked to Nov. 1620 when the Pilgrims landed at Provincetown. In Massachusetts, the Cape and Islands--and in numerous locations of North America--thousands of places are named for Native American peoples, cultures and nations. Yet most of the history we were taught in our schools comes from the European and American perspectives; Native American history is often generalized, glossed over, romanticized--or not taught at all.
This exploration will use historical thinking skills to open a new path of discovery to teach ourselves about the rich, highly advanced and complex cultures that were in North America for thousands of years before European settlement.
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
| Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe | Click here |
| Wampanoag's Win Rights to Tribal Land | Click here |
Readings to Help Navigate the Native Peoples' Story
Books:
| Indigenous Continent: The Epic Contest for North America (Pekka Hämäläinen) | |
| This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving (David Silverman) | |
| Review of This Land Is Their Land: by Linda Coombs | |
| Review of This Land Is Their Land: by Alina Scott | |
| Changes in the Land: Indians, Colonists, and the Ecology of New England (William Cronon) | |
| Mayflower: A story of Courage, Community and War (Nathaniel Philbrick) | |
| An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States (Roxanne Dundar-Ortiz) | |
| In the Wake of the Mayflower: The First Encounter (Karen Rinaldo and Kevin M. Doyle) | |
| The Name of War: King Philip's War and the Origins of American Identity (Jill Lepore) | |
| Indian New England Before the Mayflower (Howard S. Russell) | |
| The Enduring Shore: A History of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket (Paul Schneider) |
Native Origins
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Wampanoag Creation Story with Annawon Weeden |
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New Netherlands Creation Story |
Native American Cooking Videos
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Thanksgiving |
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The Original Americans |
Relevant Media Articles
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Washington Post First Thanksgiving |
Native American Names and What They Mean |
Videos
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Nathaniel Philbrick's discusses "Mayflower: A story of Courage, Community and War" |
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William Cronon's discusses "Changes in the Land" |
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David Silverman discusses "This Land is Their Land" |
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Jill Lepore's discusses "The Name of War" |
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Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz Discusses her book |
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Darius Coombs discusses Wampanoag history |
Repository of Cool Stuff!
| Archive.Org and the Wayback Machine | Click here |
Local Historical Societies
| Brewster Historical Society | Click here |
| Wellfleet Historical Society | Click here |
| Truro Historical Society | Click here |
| Provincetown Pilgrim Monument and Museum | Click here |
| Eastham Historical Society | Click here |
| Orleans Historical Society | Click here |
| Chatham Historical Society | Click here |
| Harwich Historical Society | Click here |
| Yarmouth Historical Society | Click here |
| Dennis Historical Society | Click here |
| Barnstable Historical Society | Click here |
| Sandwich Historical Commission | Click here |
Local Libraries
| Sturgis Library, Chatham | Click here |
| Wellfleet Public Library | Click here |
| Eastham Public Library | Click here |
Massachusetts Archaeological Society
| THE OLD SAGAMORE: Mattaquason of Monomoyick | Click here |
Primary Sources
| Mourt's Relations | Click Here |
| On Plimoth Plantation (William Bradford) | Click Here |
| The Bay - as I see it. - by W. Sears Nickerson | Click Here |
| EARLY ENCOUNTERS - Native Americans and Europeans in New England ---- From the Papers of W. Sears Nickerson by Delores Bird Carpenter | Click Here |
| Land Ho! 1620 --- A Seaman's Story of the Mayflower, Her Construction, Her Navigation and Her First Landfall - edited with an introduction by Delores Bird Carpenter | Click Here |
| Wampanoag language & present day culture: | Click Here |