Keepunumuk: Weeachumun’s Thanksgiving Story

ISBN

9781623542900

Publisher & Publication Year

Charlesbridge, 2022

Publisher's Book Page

Author

Danielle Hill (Mashpee Wampanoag), Anthony Perry (Chickasaw), and Alexis Bunten (Yu'pik/Unangan)

Author's Website

Illustrator

Garry Meeches Sr. (Anishinaabe)

Illustrator's Website

Synopsis

Summary

In this Wampanoag story told in a Native tradition, two kids from the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe learn the story of Weeâchumun (corn) and the first Thanksgiving. The Thanksgiving story that most Americans know celebrates the Pilgrims. But without the members of the Wampanoag tribe who already lived on the land where the Pilgrims settled, the Pilgrims would never have made it through their first winter. And without Weeâchumun (corn), the Native people wouldn’t have been able to help.

Notable Achievements

CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young Readers (2023); New England Book Award (2022)

Reviews

Publishers Weekly: "The creators’ poetic prose sensitively conveys the First Peoples’ lived history and foreshadows historical hardships to come. Meeches’s delicate brushstrokes, paired with bold swathes of earthen toned acrylic, add vibrancy."

Link to Review

Kirkus Reviews: "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."

Link to Review

Booklist: "This is a perfect choice for anyone looking for an alternative perspective to the traditional Thanksgiving story or an Indigenous Peoples’ Day read."

Link to Review

Educator Guide

These two guides, designed to reframe the story of Thanksgiving from an Indigenous perspective and teach students about Indigenous agricultural and ecological practices, provide lesson plans with instructional guidelines, activities and homework materials, and additional resources such as handouts, videos, and links to further reading.

Link to Guide