Wampanoag Celebrations in Spring Story

Opening Discussion

Ask your students if they celebrate the New Year. What do they do to celebrate? Do they know of any other cultures that celebrate the “New Year” differently? Does everyone celebrate on January 1st?

The Challenge

Listen to the stories and learn more about the Mashpee Wampanoag people and Wampanoag New Year!

Doing the Activity

• If your students are not familiar with the current tribes in Massachusetts, read “Introduction to the Wampanoag People by Annawon Weedon to them (see below). Having a map of Massachusetts and Rhode Island might help to show children some of the places mentioned in the story.
• After reading this story to them, ask them if they think the Mashpee Wampanoag people are still here as a nation. If they say “no,” point out parts of the story that reinforce the fact that the Mashpee Wampanoag people are still alive and still exist as a nation. You can also mention that members of the nation have created authentic activities to share with schools and afterschools around the country, some of which they will take part in.
• “Introduction to the Wampanoag People” by Annawon Weeden, (Mashpee Wampanoag) “Wampanoag (womp-u-nuck) translates in the English language to mean “People of the dawn” or “People of the first light.” This describes the people who inhabit the region now known as southeastern Massachusetts and eastern Rhode Island. The exact boundaries varied from the time the Wampanoag first settled in this region roughly 12,000 years ago to the present day. The northern border of Wampanoag territory is the North River around the area now known as Marshfield, Massachusetts. Our southwest border was the body of water now referred to as Narragansett Bay in what is now known as Rhode Island. Cape Cod and the nearby islands, both Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, are also within our territory, making the Atlantic Ocean our eastern boundary. We see ourselves as the first to greet the sun on this continent known as America today, thus our name: “people of the first light.” Everything we need for our lives comes from Turtle Island, our name for the land on which we reside. The land has changed quite a bit—but our traditions continue, as you will have a chance to experience in these activities.”

• Read the “Wampanoag New Year” story below.

“Wampanoag New Year” by Annawon Weeden, Mashpee Wampanoag

Winters in New England are usually very harsh and often long as well. When spring arrives the Wampanoag are thankful not only for warmer weather, but also for the many gifts of new life returning after their long winter slumber. From the flocks of migrating birds returning from their seasonal journey south, to the virtual explosion of colors from many different plants and trees, our relatives tell us that they too have awakened. In the past, spring was a time when we prepared to move from our inland communal winter villages to the individual summer coastal planting sites. Much work was to be done to prepare for next winter. If we moved to a new site and were using it for the first time, the soil would be turned and a home would be constructed. Clearing trees 5 feet in diameter is not easy, but burning the trees at the base in a controlled manner made short work of that particular task. Once the tree was on the ground we would peel the bark to use as a covering for our winter homes. We would also burn out the trunk of the tree to make a “mishoon” or boat rather than waste the tree. All of this would be done before actually turning the soil. If we were to return to a site we previously occupied, then we would simply move into a home that was already constructed and simply replace the cattail reed mat covering. Wampanoag people depended heavily on what we could grow and gather. We noticed not only the changes above ground but in the ground itself, with warmer spring temperatures thawing the very soil in which we would plant. Of all great things that came with spring, one gift was and still is the most significant of all to the Wampanoag people – the herring. In the spring, the herring make their long hard journey against the currents all the way up river to the ponds and lakes in which they spawn. Their arrival tells us many things, especially whether we are doing a good job of preserving them for future generations. Their health helps us understand the health of the same water in which they live, the water that we drink. Their return is a key ingredient in the Wampanoag recipe of life. As we say, when the shadbush blooms its white blossoms, when the oak leaf is the size of a mouse’s ear, and when the herring fill the rivers and streams, it is then that we can plant our crops and begin a new cycle or “circle” of life.

• Click here to watch a video about the making of a traditional Narragansett fish weir in preparation for the herring run and the planting of a Three Sisters Garden.

Let’s Talk About It

After your students have heard the story, have a discussion with them. How do children in the Mashpee Wampanoag community know that spring has arrived? This discussion should last only a few minutes.

Build On What They Talked About

What sorts of things do your students notice that tell them that spring has arrived in their own community? Make a list of the kinds of things they look forward to doing in the spring. You can also share this featured book with your students: When the Shadbush Blooms by Carla Messinger. Check out the resources below for even more information.

Now that they have heard the story, have your older kids try the Make a Fish Catcher activity.