- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
This story originally ran on Thanksgiving Day 2021. Millions of viewers who tuned in today to watch the 2021 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade were treated with a blessing by Mashpee Wampanoag tribal elders Carolyn Wynne (Otter Clan) and Siobhan Brown, who acknowledged the Lenape territory of Manahatta.
The blessing, which was written and shared with us by members of the Wampanoag Language Reclamation Project, (WLRP.org) will air exclusively in the Wampanoag language, but translates in English to the following: “Creator and Ancestors, we honor you for all things. We honor the Lenape people of Manahatta and all our relations. Now we are here; and will always be here. And so it is.”
Help us tell Native stories that get overlooked by other media.
Portions of the performance were spoken in Wôpanâôt8âôk, the language of the Wampanoag People.
Positioned behind the two elders for television cameras were Wampanoag Nation singers and dancers who gifted viewer with a performance of a song known to the tribe as the Calumet, which connects the four directions and honors all relations.
Among the singers and dancers were 2021 Wampanoag Princess Dasia Peters, Cheenulka Pocknett, David Pocknett, Gertrude “Kitty” Hendricks-Miller, Hartman Deetz, John Peters, Talia Landry.
The musical arrangement was by Ty Defoe (Oneida/Ojibwe).
Today’s appearance was the second year of collaboration between Indigenous Direction and the creative team behind the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.
Want more Native News? Get the free daily newsletter today.
The Wampanoag Tribe, also known as The People of the First Light, have inhabited the Eastern coast of present-day Massachusetts for more than 12,000 years. In the centuries following first contact with colonizing settlers, forced assimilation silenced the Wampanoag language for over 150 years. However, through historical written documents by Wampanoag people, language and culture are again thriving today on this Indigenous land.
Indigenous Direction co-founders Larissa FastHorse (Sicangu Lakota) and Ty Defoe (Oneida and Ojibwe) work hard to provide culturally appropriate music and dances that have been part of this continent for centuries. Rounding out the team, Associate Consultant for Indigenous Direction and Project Manager: Jamelyn Ebelacker (Santa Clara Pueblo), and Community Liaison, Siobhan Brown (Wampanoag).
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (April 28, 2024): D.C. BriefsChickasaw Children’s Village Celebrates 20 Years of Nurturing First American Students
Oregon Governor Visits Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
Water Rights Agreement with Colorado River Indian Tribes in Arizona Signed
Biden Nominates Salish & Kootenai Tribal Attorney Danna Jackson for Federal Bench
Native Perspective. Native Voices. Native News.
We launched Native News Online because the mainstream media often overlooks news that is important is Native people. We believe that everyone in Indian Country deserves equal access to news and commentary pertaining to them, their relatives and their communities. That's why the story you’ve just finished was free — and we want to keep it that way, for all readers. We hope you'll consider making a donation to support our efforts so that we can continue publishing more stories that make a difference to Native people, whether they live on or off the reservation. Your donation will help us keep producing quality journalism and elevating Indigenous voices. Any contribution of any amount — big or small — gives us a better, stronger future and allows us to remain a force for change. Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous-centered journalism. Thank you.
