Montana labor news., 1950-11-16
Give Thanks to
The Indian
By HILTON E.. HANNA,
| Butcher Workman

ON a..
Butcher Workman
On November D, americans the
World over will be celebrating
Thanksgiving observed again III
memory Of that first Thanksgiving
observed by the Pilgrims in lo2l
\ fitting occasion it was. The cele-
hration OF Thanksgiving was, indeed
in harmony with the countless flea
Sis and offerings celebrated and
observed by men OF all creeds and
cline through the years. the world
around.
\ trusting people had crossed the
seas III search OF green pastures
for themselves and posteriiy in the
New World They found the land
OF their dreams. But they found
something else OF which they never
dreamed They found a frigid eli
mate and a rugged wilderness.
In spite Of those unforeseen di
ficultics, the Founding Fathers
Pilgrims and Cavalier alike-sur-
vivcd those initial hardships and
went On To establish. "A new nation
conceived in liberty and dedicated
to the proposition that all men arr
created equal"
Thanksgiving iittingly ome down
to us as a day OF thanks and feastine
in recognition and appreciation OF a
bountiiul harvest and countless other
blessings.
This year we have ever more to be
thankful Tor.
Yet ii history run true to form, II
We can Judge the future by the past,
one OF the major factors and forces
contributing to the celebration OF
THANKSGIVING will be conspicous by
its absence from the ceremonies.
There will be no room at the festive
board or mention in the celebrations
Of those original Americans the
native Indians-without whose aid
and assistance the Pioneers. accord
ing 10 their own words, ncvcr would
have survived to produce a harvest
worthy OF the first Thanksgiving
As we gather around the table on
Thanksgiving and partake of the
traditional fare OF turkey dressing
giblet gravy, cranberry sauce, sweet
potato. pumpkin pie and all the rest
OF the trimming. we can thank both
our lucky star and our pioneer fore
fathers. We can also thank the In
dians.
II Mark Hanna can be associated
in history with the making OF Me
kinlcy, the Indians. surely have earn
ed a place for themselves in the hist
DRY Of Thanksgiving Beyond a
doubt, the assistance they gave IN
helping the Colonists not only to
survive but also to conquer the wild
crness. celebrate the first American
Thanksgiving (modern style), and
| eventually establish a nation, far
transcends and outweighs anything
the Ohio politician might have done,
however laudablc, in maneuvering
Mckinley into the presidency.
Corn obtained from the Indians
by foul means or fair nor than nee
or twice saved the lives Of the Found
ing Fathers. Had il not been for
the corn OF the Indians the stories
Of Jamestown and Plymouth instead
OF being stirring accounts of per
severance and endurance might have
been brief and melancholy tragedies
...T The settling Of america would
have been DELAYED ior a century,
writes one historian
Trumbull in his History Of ton-
necticut' Cl797) tells Us thtal the Con-
necticui Indians instructed the iirst
| settlers III the manner Of planting,
cultivating. and preparing corn Tor
| cooking. 1T was the success ~ the
corn crop that made il possible Tor
the eager Colonists to live and be-
come the Pilgrim Father, BY sell
ing them corn when pinchcd With
famine they Cthe lndian>l relieved
their distress and prevented them
from perishing in a strange land and
uncultivated wilderness
Captain John Smith, in hi, History
OF Virginia adds his testimony 70
the contributions OF the Indian, in
those critical days OF the Colonies.
In a letter to Queen Annc hc rotor
ted, a.. Such was the wCakut~s OF
this poor commonwealth, Il, ial not
the savages (his term fuf ihc lndians)
fed us we directly had starved md
this rclyfe. most gracioa- 'ieen,
was brought by this lady ~ afon-
tas Il. during the time Of '@ or
three years, She next under God was
still the instrument 10 pre>crt' ihis
c%olonie iron death, famine AND utter
confusion
Another author. Arthur Ptfser
in his "Iroquois Uses u Maik and
Other Food Plants crypiicaN, sum
marizes the effect Of the Indian corn
on the history Of America ifi ne.
"And thus it is that the maile Giant
RI l p.,a