Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story

by Danielle Greendeer

Other authorsAnthony Perry (Author), Alexis Bunten (Author), Gary Meeches Sr (Illustrator)
Hardcover, 2022

Status

Available

Publication

Charlesbridge (2022), 32 pages

Library's review

The Thanksgiving story, told from the perspective of the Wampanoag people.

A Wampanoag grandmother plants her garden with weeâchumun (corn), beans, and squash, or the Three Sisters. When her grandchildren ask to hear the story of Thanksgiving, N8hkumuhs tells them that their people call it
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Keepunumuk, “the time of harvest,” and explains what really happened. The tale opens with Seagull warning Weeâchumun—depicted as a woman with a translucent body—of the Pilgrims’ arrival; Weeâchumun worries because many of the First Peoples who cared for her have gone to the Spirit World, and she fears this will be her last winter. Fox keeps an eye out and in spring tells Weeâchumun and her sisters that the newcomers endured a hard winter; many died. Weeâchumun and her sisters want to help: “We will send the First Peoples to help the newcomers.” The Wampanoag people teach the survivors how to plant corn, beans, and squash. The settlers hold a feast to celebrate the harvest; though it’s remembered by many as the first Thanksgiving, backmatter explains that because of the disease and warfare brought by the settlers, for the Wampanoag people, it is remembered as a day of mourning. Rich, saturated acrylics imbued with a touch of magic add to the vibrancy of this important, beautiful story.

A much-needed Thanksgiving retelling that centers the Wampanoag people. (glossary, information on the Wampanoag, map, recipes) (Picture book. 3-7)

-Kirkus Review
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Language

Original language

English

ISBN

1623542901 / 9781623542900

Barcode

1745
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