History To-Go: Keepunumuk

Graphic and text describing Keepunumuk: Wampanoag Thanksgiving.
The "First" Thanksgiving that most Americans know involves the story of when Pilgrims and Indians came together to eat and give thanks in 1621. But well before Thanksgiving was made a national holiday in 1863 by President Lincoln and our own tables today overflowed with sweet potato pie and turkey, the Wampanoag people already had a special harvest celebration called Keepunumuk. The Wampanoag, or Wôpanâak, have lived in the Northeast in Massachusetts and Rhode Island in the United States for thousands of years. During Keepunumuk, the Wampanoag give thanks for the gifts of the earth, especially the "Three Sisters" crops: corn, beans, and squash. This celebration has been a part of their tradition long before Europeans arrived. While Thanksgiving is often seen as a holiday about friendship and community between the European settlers and Indigenous Americans, the Wampanoag were already celebrating and giving thanks for harvest, showing their deep respect for nature and strong community.

November's History To-Go box features Keepunumuk: Wampanoag Thanksgiving. You can come by the museum starting Tuesday, November 5, 2024, to pick up a box (limit 2 per family). Supplies are limited, so come early. Click the links below to download the box's content if you can't pick up a kit in person.

 

Special Thanks to the Arts Council of Fayetteville for sponsoring the History To-Go Kits! Please support us by making a donation or becoming a volunteer!