Meet a chef from the tribe that fed the Pilgrims

Plus: Thanksgiving myths, debunked |

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By Olivia B. Waxman Staff Writer Ahead of Thanksgiving, I profiled a chef named Sherry Pocknett, a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, most famous for being the tribe that fed the Pilgrims on the meal celebrated as the first Thanksgiving in 1621. Pocknett has a restaurant called Sly Fox Den Too in Charlestown, R.I., specializing in East Coast Indigenous cuisine—mainly food that is local and in season. For lunch, photographer Tony Luong and I feasted on duck, venison, and journey cakes, a form of corn bread that Native Americans take on long roadtrips. The experience of eating in her restaurant is an education. As she cooked lunch, Pocknett talked about the indigenous origins of the foods she was making, how even sunflower oil she cooks with can also be used to make hair and skin look more youthful. When I asked about the turkey feathers hanging in handwoven baskets on the wall, she explained how Native Americans revere turkeys for their smarts and wear their feathers in the hopes of absorbing their intelligence. Click here to read more about the restaurant.

HISTORY ON TIME.COM The Small Truth Behind the Big Myth of Thanksgiving By Lily Rothman Learn what actually happened on that day in this clip from the new PBS documentary 'The Pilgrims' Read More » A Moving Reason to Set an Extra Place at Thanksgiving By Lily Rothman Thanksgiving celebrants once added a "silent guest" to their holidays to help feed the hungry Read More » The 'First Thanksgiving' Story Covers Up the All Too Real Violence in Early America By Peter C. Mancall How does our understanding of early American history look if we put conflicts between Indigenous and newcomers at the center of the story? Read More » The Way American Kids Are Learning About the 'First Thanksgiving' Is Changing By Olivia B. Waxman The typical Thanksgiving lesson reflects neither the 17th century truth nor the 21st century understanding of it Read More » The Tribe That Fed the Pilgrims at the 'First Thanksgiving' Is Still Fighting for Its Land By Olivia B. Waxman Many Wampanoag hoped that the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower landing would be a galvanizing event to remind people that they still exist Read More »

FROM THE TIME VAULT This week in 1966: Julia Child “‘The thing about food,’” says Julia, ‘is you’re a much happier person if you eat well and treasure your meals.’ No purist, she thinks nothing of belting down a couple of stiff bourbons at home.. She keeps tubs of Marlboros on the kitchen table, gaily dips into them for a smoke between courses. ‘I hate people who put on the dog, don’t you?’ she smiles guilelessly." (Nov. 25, 1966) Read More » This week in 1976: Charlie's Angels “The show is not just a winner but a certifiable phenomenon. Seldom has a brand-new entry broken into Nielsen's top ten in its first week and then stayed there, steadily improving its position with each subsequent airing…The crowd that collects around the Angels every Wednesday night at 10 p.m. E.S.T. is truly astonishing. According to the latest Nielsen rating figures, 59% of all the television sets in use in the U.S. are tuned to them. This kind of audience share is usually achieved only by special events like the World Series.” (Nov. 22, 1976) Read More » This week in 1999: Pokémon “The more Pokémon you have, the greater power you possess (the slogan is GOTTA CATCH 'EM ALL). And never underestimate a child's ability to master the Pokéarcana required to accumulate such power: the ease with which they slip into cunning and thuggery can stun a mergers-and-acquisitions lawyer. Grownups aren't ready for their little innocents to be so precociously cutthroat. Is Pokémon payback for our get-rich-quick era--with our offspring led away like lemmings by Pied Poké-Pipers of greed? Or is there something inherent in childhood that Pokémania simply reflects?” (Nov. 22, 1999) Read More »

HIGHLIGHTS FROM AROUND THE WEB Civil rights: The Advocate’s James Wilkins reports on Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards issuing an apology for the “senseless tragedy” that occurred 50 years ago when Louisiana law enforcement killed two student demonstrators protesting subpar educational opportunities across the state. Education: As Virginia delays its process for reviewing history standards for K-12 schools, historian Kevin Levin, for the Washington Post, runs down key events in the state’s history that students aren't taught in public schools.. World War II: On the website, The Conversation, historian Sarah Abrevaya Stein and anthropologist Aomar Boum detail the little-known North African perspectives on the Second World War, focusing on the Nazi occupation of Tunisia Mad Men: For the Atlantic, Mac Schwerin looks at how 20th century anti-smoking ads are influencing modern-day ads to prevent gun violence.  Media: The New York Times’ Emmett Lindner digs deep into the newspaper’s archives to show how its coverage of breaking news has evolved.

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