Respect for indigenous ancestors

 

A few years ago, I discovered that I was the 11th-great-grandson of the man portrayed in this statue on the Brigham Young University campus - Massasoit, the intertribal chief of the Wampanoag Nation of southern New England. In his leadership role of the indigenous people, Massasoit established a supportive relationship with the Pilgrim settlers in 1620 that lasted over 40 years until his death. The interaction between the most of the early European colonists and the local residents in "the new world" was complicated in those early years, and in general the established residents were treated cruelly and with little respect. But Massasoit firmly believed that the two nations could live together cooperatively and peacefully, and managed to maintain a mutually beneficial association throughout his years of leadership.

Massasoit's granddaughter married an Englishman. We know very little about the circumstances of their relationship, but there is certainly a very large progeny in the USA that have at least a little DNA of their native ancestors. Perhaps that fragment of my ancestry is part of what makes me love the outdoors so much.

It's been fascinating to me in recent years to learn more about the "American Indians." While they were too often considered "uneducated savages" by the Europeans, I have learned to feel great respect for many aspects of their culture and beliefs - enough to be appalled at the arrogance of the attitude that insisted they needed to be subjugated and have the "white man culture" imposed on them. Clearly there were some aspects of the European world understanding that could have been beneficial to the native Americans. But there was much that the white men could have learned about the world, had they been willing to watch and listen.

I feel very deeply that our cohabitants in this world can teach us many things, particularly those who differ from us in nationality, culture, religion, background, or life experiences. I #GiveThanks for the opportunities in my life that I've had to encounter those opportunities to learn, either in person or vicariously through reading; and I hope to continue to learn much more in years to come.