I once read some excerpts from the journals of one of them. The Pilgrims freely acknowledged the mercy and helpfulness of the local Native Americans. Of course the Pilgrims were fully human; when they were in the throes of death by starvation, some of them suddenly found some grain stashed somewhere and brought it home and cooked some for the survivors. Once they had some food in them, however, their consciences awoke, they realized that it must rightfully belong to somebody else, and they brought the rest of it back where they had found it. Later, I read elsewhere that this unusual action was noticed by the Native Americans, as was the tentative search by the Pilgrims for a small patch of land that did not belong to somebody else. This source said that this was why they helped the Pilgrims, who were the first Europeans they had ever seen showing any ideas of right and wrong.
On the day we are celebrating today, the Pilgrims rose early and started food cooking for the Thank-you picnic they had invited the local Native Americans to attend. They then held a two-hour church service thanking the Lord with song and prayer for their deliverance from extinction, and for the wonderful Native Americans who had surely been sent by Him. One source said there was one Pilgrim man who objected to the idea of "running into the woods to cavort with savages," but that "he was soon shouted down." Almost all the Pilgrims opted for the picnic, hoping their meager food would be enough. Luckily, Massasoit could see upon arrival that they were once again being over-optimistic, and several young Native American men did a quick hunting trip to supplement the little feast. It was said that the party lasted three days, and included singing, dancing, and games.
I also read a letter written decades later, which refused an invitation to join in a attack by European settlers against the Native Americans. It was in their archaic English, and I have forgotten the exact words. In essence, however, it said something like, "We are astonished that you have had so much trouble getting along with the Natives here, when we have found them to be generally fair, honest, and kind. Maybe that is because we have tried to be fair, honest, and kind in return. You should try it sometime; it works."
Of course, they were human, and the Pilgrims didn't always do the right thing. Also, subsequent generations of Pilgrims gradually lost their hard-won wisdom and melted into the rest of the population. Still, this story, including the wisdom, justice, and kindness of Massasoit and the Native American tribe (I just can't quite remember it: Penobscot?), floated around among the European settlers, now and then causing some of them to realize some little bit of obligation to the people who had been here first. And that is why the Pilgrim feast won the name of "The First Thanksgiving." Yes, we know about the feast the previous year; the Pilgrims had reportedly been hoping to reach Jamestown to participate in that one. That feast can be called the First Harvest Festival in America, carrying on an old Harvest Festival tradition from Europe. The Pilgrim feast was different. Those people had been rescued by the Native Americans, and some of them never forgot it. And it showed that, if two groups of people sincerely believe in being fair, honest, and kind, they can find common ground if they try hard enough, and have more for everybody to be thankful for.
Especially since this is Channukah, the role of the Jewish scriptures should be acknowledged here. The Pilgrim journal mentioned that, in their ordeal in a strange land, the Pilgrims were trying to hold on to the wisdom they had found in the Jewish scriptures, reminding each other that the Lord expected them to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with their God.
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