Over time, different views on the events and meaning of Thanksgiving emerged. We Shall Remain is a television series which focusses on this and related topics.
First read the assignment. Next watch the series' preview. Take notes to help you do the assigment.
- Focus on this quotation: "We were about to be obliterated culturally." Explain in your own words what it means.
- Focus on this quotation: "It was done to them. So they did it back." Explain what it means in this context.
- Fill in the rest of the quote: "Too remarkable, too inspiring ......." Translate the complete quote. Aim for a catchy phrase in Dutch that conveys the same message.
- How are the origins of the series' title ("We Shall Remain") explained towards the end of the clip?
Extra reading and speaking assignment
A
- Read the short article about the two sides of Thanksgiving history.
- Work in a group or as a class. Discuss what the difference in Thanksgiving is for Native American Indians and other people in the United States today.
B
All discussion leads back to the myths and facts regarding the First Thanksgiving. In 1899, it inspired Jean Leon Gerome Ferris to create his now famous depiction of events, called The First Thanksgiving 1621. The painting shows common misconceptions about the event that persist to modern times: Pilgrims did not wear such outfits, and the Wampanoag are dressed in the style of Native Americans from the Great Plains.
- What does the expression "common misconceptions" mean?
- Name one or more common misconceptions about your own country or traditions.
