Copyright © 1998 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved
by Bill Skelly
Copyright © 1998 Bill Skelly
(This article appeared in the Minneapolis Star
Tribune April 5, 1997 as ‘Letters from readers’.)
(Star Tribune Editor’s Note: "Last November, the Faith And Values section reprinted part of a church bulletin story of Squanto, an American Indian who was essential to the original Thanksgiving story. We recently received a response to that item. Because of the lapse of time, we are reprinting the original items along with the commentary.")
The Original
The Christian Pilgrims who set foot in the Massachusetts shore in December of 1620 were unprepared and poorly suited to be settlers. Almost half of them had died by April of 1621, but they were aided by an American Indian named Squanto, who spoke English and Spanish. He taught them survival skills and joined with them in a peace treaty with the Wampanoag tribe.
But who was this Squanto? He had been kidnapped on Cape Cod years earlier and brought to England. There he had been shown as a curiosity. When the novelty of his presence wore off, he was sold as a slave and sent to Spain. There he was bought by a monk who freed him as an act of Christian charity. Squanto converted to Christianity, returned to England a free man, and bought passage back to his home in Massachusetts. Upon his return he was shocked to learn that his entire tribe had been wiped out earlier by a plague. His life had been spared by what he had considered his misfortune!
In Squanto’s strange and blessed life God was there, wondrously reigning!!!
(Bill Skelly Note: to the Star Tribune)
After reading 'Thanksgiving by God's Grace', the story of Squanto, I was bewildered as to how God entered into such an evil treatment of a man [inini] and the Native Americans in general. As mentioned in my email to you, I tried to get some input from Native Americans, pastors, and family. Each was rather shocked as to the author(s) belief that God offered a blessing in disguise to Squanto. My thoughts are expressed as a reply to you and the authors. It represents a lot of thought and is meant only to indicate some other point of view. You are free to use it as you care to. If you would wish to talk about it, I would be pleased to meet with you for as long as you wish.
Squanto: Anishinabe Inini!
The response.
The story of Squanto and the Wampanoag People is part history and probably part myth. Nevertheless, reading: 'In Squanto's strange and blessed life God was there, wondrously reigning' ['Thanksgiving by Gods' grace'] is a mystery that I just do not understand [and that is why I tried to get an explanation of what the writer meant to bring forth! However, perhaps we can combine some of the things known, things that were written in your article, and some of the things we perceive in regard to faith:] The Wampanoag are part of the *Anishinabeg [by definition: the People who were placed on this earth by the Creator, Great Mystery, Gitche Manato].
[They are of the same People as the Ojibwe here in the Northern area of the USA. The Ojibwe word Wa ba nong could be translated 'from or to the East'. The People] They have developed their value systems over millennia, a system that incorporated all of the elements that were needed to survive in the environment, to give them a method of social responsibility, and prepare them for the Spirit world. [This process has taken over thousands of years to a place that was shared by Squanto , his family, and the Anishinabeg.]
Now for the glorious story!
The English kidnapped Squanto from his homeland, now called Cape Cod. Was this an act of a Christian? Squanto was shown as a 'curiosity' in England . A being that is composed of body and spirit is displayed as an archaeological freak? A God like act?
Squanto was 'sold' as a slave to the Spanish as if he was a possession; his People were free People. 'God fearing' English men believed this was Gods manner of treating the Anishinabe man? The monk bought Squanto and freed him as an act of 'Christianity? Why is it that other Christians that stole him , paraded him throughout England, sold him, and bought him as a slave did not have this Christian Charity?
[Squanto 'converted' to Christianity! This is the European and Euro American coup . It has never been understood by Euro Americans that the People had a spirituality that, even today, is much superior to anything brought over since 1492. Yet, we seem to glow when 'one of them' is Christianized.] Many of the ways of forcing Native Americans to 'see the light' are overflowing with coercion and misery. The Spanish solders were killing the People of the Hopi so fast that the Religious complained that they could not 'Baptize ' them fast enough. The Dakota and Anishinabeg were ripped from their parents homes and sent to a Mission school for conversion to the faith. This went on throughout the 1950s. [Another Godless act!]
Now Squanto comes back to reunite with his People and finds that the English have either slaughtered them [with guns] or passed on diseases that were fatal to the Anishinabeg.. Squanto no longer has his grandfather teachers to continue the stories of the Great Mystery, the ways of existing with Nature. [The Anishinabeg never graduate, theirs is a life long learning. His loving parents first suffering his loss to the English; now, their own suffering. Nor his friends nor siblings to carry on the traditions of the Wampanoag and their transition to the Hereafter.] All are dead due to the invaders. His heart must have heavy with grief, his spirit in despondency. The People are family People; many generations live together with a sharing of responsibilities in a value system, that no longer exists in this land, to honor the Creator and give thanks for the goodness of Mother Earth and Father Sky. All are gone. Squanto’s life has become hollow!
Now we are told: "In Squanto's strange and blessed life God was there, wondrously reigning" We know that God does not cry because he is not of man. However, I would believe that the spirit of the man Christ wept bitterly at Squanto's treatment by His namesakes; [chances are that he is still weeping for the People!!!]
Godless acts do not lead to Blessings!!!
Bill Skelly
Maple Grove[Italic indicate my words which were edited out for brevity.]
*Anishinabe is singular Anishinabeg is plural the g was edited out.