Author: Angela Armstrong Justesen

Background:

The Native Americans, specifically , the Narragansett and Niantic tribes, located in the New England States, have celebrations for each moon of the year. They have thirteen moons, and thirteen thanksgivings. At these thanksgivings, they give thanks for their bounteous harvests, their families, and traditions.

The Strawberry Moon is the early summer moon. Strawberry Thanksgiving takes place during mid to late June and reflects different kinds of celebrations. Not all tribes participate in this celebration. Strawberry Thanksgiving is celebrated wherever strawberries are grown, and each tribe celebrates it differently. Some tribes opt to celebrate privately, with only the family, tribe, or a few tribes attending. Others opt to make it a public celebration in which both Native American people and non-Native American people attend. This way of celebrating provides the non-Native Americans with an opportunity to learn about and participate in Native American traditions.

Their thanksgiving is a celebration of the Native American harvest and how grateful they are to be able to have such a bounteous harvest. They also celebrate their crafts, food, music, and dance. All four things are represented in abundance at the thanksgiving festival. There are artisans trying to sell their crafts, many traditional foods are prepared for consumption, and each tribe has its own music and dance to coincide with the thanksgiving celebration.

Legends are associated with each of the thirteen moons. Native Americans feel these legends are an important way of sharing the values of the tribe with the children. The legend of Strawberry Thanksgiving teaches about relationships and forgiveness. "A Native American girl and her brother were best friends and enjoyed playing together. On a walk in the woods one day, they disagreed on which path to follow. The girl angrily went her own way. She soon realized that she was lonely without the companionship of her brother and started to weep. Her tears fell on small bushes in straw. Strawberries grew where her tears landed. She gathered them to share with her brother. Now whenever people eat strawberries, they must forgive those with whom they have disagreed."

At the Strawberry Thanksgiving festival, a young boy and girl act out the story. A drummer beats softly in the background while an elder repeats the legend. The girl carries a basket of the berries to share with her brother. After sharing the strawberries, they break into a dance. This ceremony concludes as everyone joins in the dance.

As mentioned before, Strawberry Thanksgiving is a celebration of the harvest and how blessed the Native Americans felt they were concerning their harvest. The focus of this celebration is strawberries. Everyone eats strawberries, and once they have done so, they must forgive those with whom they have disagreed. This is the way they thank the Great Spirit for the gift of strawberries.

References:

Jennings P. (1992). Strawberry Thanksgiving. Modern Curriculum Press.

Jennings, P. (1992). Teacher Resources Multicultural Celebrations. Strawberry Thanksgiving Teacher's Guide. Modern Curriculum Press