The true story of the First Thanksgiving

[@TastingHistory]

To support the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project, visit www.wlrp.org/

[@Firegen1]

This sounds like an amazing project!

[@James35142]

I was JUST watching an old video of yours when I got this notification.

[@mylesjude233]

Sounds cool, thanks for the link

[@JayMannStuff]

As for soaking beans, the main reason to do it is to allow bacteria time to break down the **Raffinose** in your beans. Raffinose is a sugar that's indigestible to humans because we lack the right enzyme. But bacteria in our intestines can break it down. When bacteria break down Raffinose, gas is produced... And then later expelled. Soaking beans 8-12 hours reduces the Raffinose content. So soak your beans, your spouse will thank you.

[@amo4068]

Love your vids, probably seen every one of them. But isn't saying the language revival project is important because of it's value to American History kind of messed up? American history is why it went dormant for 150 years. Supporting it seems more important because its the right thing to do and because it's important to the future of the Wampanoag people.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

The Wampanoag Nation must be congratulated on this language reclamation project and so happy to hear it being supported.

[@MrChristianDT]

That's the good thing about it. About half of the Algonquian languages really aren't spoken at all, anymore, but most of them were extremely well recorded, so not impossible to reasonabl reconstruct & revive.

[@BTLOTM]

K /

[@iwontliveinfear]

@@MrChristianDT yeah but just like Latin, the proper pronunciation, inflection, and accent have been lost forever.

[@chalor182]

I learned about the Wampanoag language reclamation during my masters program this year and its really amazing what they've been able to do and how hard they've worked to bring it back from the brink of extinction

[@n8pls543]

@@iwontliveinfear There's actually a lot of reconstruction of classical Latin due to how the Italians wrote extensively about how poorly everyone else pronounced it. We've come a long way from everyone pronouncing C like S.

[@codac6111]

My people, the Yesásahín here in North Carolina, are also doing a language revitalization! Using words we still have, the help of our linguist cousins piecing together the words and backstory of all the words and how we can begin to speak it again! I'm so proud of our Indigenous family, from here in the state to up coast

[@-jank-willson]

Is the Yesásahín a part of the Algonquin peoples?

[@codac6111]

@@-jank-willson Hi! We are not! The name of my tribe is the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, so we're Saponi! Our language is similar to the Lakota, where we were settled in that region looong before settlers arrived. We migrated and settled in the curent-day area of NC. We aren't related to the Algonquin peoples, but perhaps someone of a different tribe farther up may be! We're pretty Southeastern Woodland here in NC though

[@johnn.2017]

@@Wildflower687 You want government funding for language studies? Good luck. Maybe my president will toss you a roll of paper towels. It's heartbreaking to see how the U.S. treats my fellow Americans in Puerto Rico.

[@-jank-willson]

@@codac6111 OK, so that means you are more in the piedmont region of NC? If I remember right, the algonqin tribes were in the coastal regions of North Carolina, The saponis were in the piedmont, and cherokees in the mountains?

[@codac6111]

@@-jank-willson Yes! My tribe's in the Piedmont area, and the Cherokee are a few hours drive away going towards the mountains! I'll have to ask my family more about some tribes that could be Algonquin, but I wouldn't be surprised there are some along the coast going up. Lots of people move all the time and it's surprising how things tend to end up. I just don't want to speak on another tribe or potentially give you the wrong information! Edit; Oops! I just did a quick search to find some more Algonquin people on the coast, you're right! I just mainly try to focus on the Saponi people, so I can't give much info about Algonquin heritage or history- I'd have to ask and do research about that, which I'll probably get to soon!

[@Oxtocoatl13]

It's a terrible shame that we don't have a memoir by Tisquantum. With everything he went through from slavery to being one of the first native Americans who spent time in Europe and were able to return home, to the post-apocalyptic wasteland he found when he finally got back. His was a life filled to the brim with tragedy.

[@Justanotherconsumer]

@R. P. “hurt people hurt people” is a stereotype that often doesn’t hold up - those who have known tragedy are just as likely to become more kind and empathetic as they are to become callous and uncaring.

[@cogspace]

Thinking about how excited he might have been coming home, ready to share the story of his escape from his captors and everything he learned in England... only to find his entire tribe dead of disease - or maybe he got news of that before he left England, I wonder. It really is a shame we can't read about this experience in his own words. The fact that, after all that, he still chose to help these Europeans and created such a lasting peace, he must've been an incredible person.

[@kathleenhensley5951]

It must have been heart breaking to return home and find everyone gone. He as a good man though, that much is obvious.

[@louisewilliams1258]

@R. P. Blame Whitey for everything. They never did one damn thing that was good… (Obvious sarcasm)

[@natmorse-noland9133]

@R. P. it's possible he never realized the Europeans were responsible for his people's death. Germ theory was still centuries off, after all, so it wasn't really possible to accurately trace the origins of disease outbreaks.

[@momkatmax]

As a Cherokee, I see this as a moment in time of peace and celebration between the Native people and the English. It was so sad it didn't continue.

[@TwistedRootsVanVelzerPress]

exactly - it lasted for the life of those first ones on both sides - and THAT is what should have been the guideline for the future - but greedy Virginia Company execs ruined it .... point being Thanksgiving is fine - greed is not - and we need to call out the hate and greed everywhere ..... and plant 3 sisters when we can :) LOL I do and they always do better than any other plants in the garden.

[@asalways1504]

My sentiments exactly. I see Thanksgiving the same way I see the Christmas truce of WW1. For a brief moment, there was hope for peace between two opposing sides, but it wasn’t meant to be. It’s bitter sweet.

[@jaehaspels9607]

Well, white people aren't really known for being able to share land.

[@AlexanderLittlebears]

@@TwistedRootsVanVelzerPress So you wish Anglo-America never existed

[@TwistedRootsVanVelzerPress]

@@AlexanderLittlebears that is a childish jump in psduo-logic - try again pot stirrer ... guys like you are why the treaty failed the next generation.

[@willgonyea]

As a Haudenosaunee Native American, I very much appreciate you doing this, making an Indigenous dish. While we're used to Frybread, Indian Tacos/Navajo Tacos and similar contemporary dishes, it's amazing to see a dish that was used before the settlers/pilgrims/colonizers arrived. Since it is Native American Heritage month, would it be possible to cook other Indigenous dishes to futher educate others on our cuisine? Anyways, thank you for this video. Much love Max.

[@michaelpettersson4919]

Maybe send him a collection of family recipes and encurage others to do the same? Perhaps help him out with a guest cook?

[@thecook8964]

Sadly, fry bread (delicious) is beginning to become a symbol of oppression for indigenous people- represents the government staples like flour, that they had never eateñ before, when forced to move to reservations. Cornmeal, acorn flour, etc. was much more healthy. Yet, it does represent the adaptability of Native Americans to make a yummy dish out of the Spartan rations they were allowed by the invaders & there are many happy memories of pow wows & Naive American Grandmother's, etc. powering out scrumptious fry bread, etc. Check out the many talented Native American Chef's videos on KZbin on Native American recipes. Sean Sherman is a name to start with. I remember my Father, part Ute, opining about how delicious pinion pinenuts were (he was pretty poor). Pregnant woman found a lot of nutrition from them, for example. Hit up the Elders, for information, before they're gone & teach your children.

[@adedow1333]

I'm excited about this! I'm so curious about how the first nations prepared food before the European settlers arrived.

[@davidruff7514]

Agreed brother. We need more of our culture

[@SingingSealRiana]

@@davidruff7514 yes please, culture lives through being shared. So much was destroyed, keeping what is left alive is of imessurable value!

[@Page001B]

I have to say: the hard tack joke actually never gets old😂 I still get a giggle every time!

[@willek1335]

Never gets old. 👌

[@jennypaxton8159]

Clack Clack

[@FuknKms]

Its the biggest meme of the channel

[@kampy19]

God the hard tack jokes just slaps every. single. time. I love it.

[@lukascph]

It wouldn't be Tasting History without it. *clack, clack*

[@austinhan6998]

Would you say those jokes clack?

[@morganalori]

Whenever I think about or hear other channels talk about hard tack, my head sees/hears that clack, clack with Max. It's the perfect running gag. It'd be fun if he snuck onto other channels with his hardtack clacks.

[@Zaarin1]

Imagine asking for a beer and getting handed hardtack. 🤣

[@miinyoo]

It does. The happy happy joy joy face makes it.

[@ckhprojectpro777]

You strike such a great balance with the history and respect for the cultures you share from, acknowledging the past, without living in it in a negative way and using well-placed, gentle humor (Symbiotic Plant Complex is the band name I should’ve used, lol). I raise my tea cup to you, Sir.

[@NMN_CP]

it's ok to 'live the past in a negative way' when you are telling the truth about the repulsive violence of settler colonialism.

[@darkangelsoaps8258]

​@@NMN_CPyes there was nothing but peace and butterflies and baby deer drinking from babbling brooks and no warfare or violence until the evil colonists came with their oppression.

[@TheGallantDrake]

Three sisters! Yes! Thank you for talking about this. People are always under the impression that the First Nations were all hunter-gatherers, when they were just as diverse and innovative as any group of European cultures.

[@krankarvolund7771]

Even more diverse as they ranged from hunter-gatherers to fully sedentaries, whiile European nations ony had sedentaries lifestyle ^^

[@ragnkja]

@@krankarvolund7771 Except the Sámi peoples, who were treated quite similarly to North American First Nations, including being forced to attend residential schools where they weren’t allowed to maintain their own language or culture.

[@Roach4K]

I'm always interested in what the staple foods are for different cultures and it pleases me that Max brought it up, because i had no idea. Hence why i reccomend this channel to friends and fellow nerds, Max does fantastic research.

[@SikkeOst]

Not to mention they had great cities as well and had some metalworking, but used it for ornamental purposes more than for warfare

[@krankarvolund7771]

@@ragnkja Oops you're right ^^'

[@nmbcb4]

Thanks so much, Max, for your sharing and support of the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project. The eleventh granddaughter of Mattachiest Sachem Iyannough and I have prepared this dish and a few other Wampanoag treats for our annual day of mourning and the more celebratory harvest festival of Cranberry Day. We'll be sharing a 3 sisters salad this year along with oysters farmed at the First Light Shellfish Farm; if they arrive on time. Keep up the good work!

[@bobwaters7787]

@is there somewhere where all of these foods are written down?

[@rachelrodewald2546]

To Max or anyone else interested in reading more along the lines of this video, I can only suggest "Changes in the Land" by William Cronon. It's all about the indigenous tribes in New England, Wampanoag included, and how they managed the land before and during contact, and land rights and what not. If you're feeling particularly nerdy, later editions include information on Cronon's methodology, which is cool in the sense that this was one of the first environmental histories. It's also one of the least 'brick' ish books I've had to read for my MA, which is a nice plus.

[@tthappyrock368]

Thank you for the book recommendation! I'm going to have to read it!

[@mathamster7909]

It is so easily digestible, not to mention it really helps break down the preconceptions many think of precolonial landscape of Eastern America that were set by 19th century transcendentalists

[@westernmasswonderwoman3326]

What an amazing coincidence - I just picked up this book TODAY before even seeing this! I was hesitant about it's content because so many things written about the indigenous tribes has a very colonial bias, but I'm very pleased to hear that it is a good reference. Thank you!

[@anissaferringer4965]

Is it the one talking about how much wood was used? And deforestation? I know the name, but can't recall if I read it...

[@rachelrodewald2546]

@@anissaferringer4965 it very well may be? Sorry it’s been twelve months and easily twice as many academic texts

[@catharinepizzarello4784]

I know so little about this area, though I’ve lived here most of my life. We were taught a bunch of hogwash as kids, the truth is so horrific! I donated to the project. My respect to them, and to you, Max.

[@TastingHistory]

Thank you!

[@25xxfrostxx]

Apparently I had ancestry on both sides here. This was great to see. Interesting and non food related anecdote: One of the Wampanoag stories indicated that, in their time living on the eastern coastline, they encountered men who "sailed down the coast in winged ships who fought with axes" long before the Europeans arrived. Combining that story with the account that one of the Wampanoag members of the tribe who married into my family was described as "Red of hair with fair skin and blue eyes". I have a good guess who they met sailing down the coast years before.

[@craigsurette3438]

One of my anthropology professors is a very traditional Abenaki lady who preserves their cultural heritage. When i asked her if her people had any stories about preColumbian contact, she said "Yes!" and told me a story about a young woman who was kidnapped by "Huge lighthaired strangers, who had clothes of many colors, that ran in 2 different directions" If that isnt a Native's description of big Viking dudes in woven plaid/herringbone/ tweed etc l, i dont know what is We know that the Norse colony we found in Newfoundland wasnt inhabited year round, and was probably a repair/waystation. We also found a bag full of butternuts, which only grow several hundred miles away from the site in warmer climates. That means the Vinlanders were settling somewhere else, probably a bit further south

[@adedow1333]

Oh vikings! That's exciting that the Scandinavian pirates made it that far!

[@nicolechafetz3904]

Only recently have I gotten into studying the history of these people. I understand that modern cousins sometimes dislike the term "Viking." Only this week did I see a real explanation of why when a Norwegian historian on a KZbin documentary I was watching said that all Scandinavians know what outsiders don't! Viking is something YOU DO, not someone you ARE. I also was amazed to find out that women could be considered equals as long as they were good warriors! One of the most famous and sumptuous ship graves was uncovered recently. Inside was the body of a female Viking and likely a slave girl that was buried with her. (Back to the human sacrifice.) I had no idea how far they actually traveled and took their culture! There were Viking villages all over Eastern Europe and even recently, an archaeologist found a Buddhist statue in Norway I believe? In an ancient village. They have narrowed it down to current day Pakistan! That is where it was made! WHATTTTT???? I did not learn this as a school child! Now I wish to travel to Norway! My grandmother was a world traveler and traveled to Norway many times: she loved it. But now I'm captivated! I also had no idea how bloody the culture was. I am fascinated with both things. I had no idea that the bodies found in the peat bogs when I was a little girl were victims of human sacrifice! Maybe one day, Max will get back to our North Men! (My best friend claims to be a direct descendent of Eric the Red.)

[@MrChristianDT]

I had white ancestors who were puritans in that general area, but apparently they showed up a bit later & weren't on the initial trip. A lot of them were involved in King Phillip's War, though. And one of them was apparently arrested for fucking a cow, but was let go. He became the colony's liason with Native spies during that war. I was really hoping to find a Native ancestor there, but no such luck.

[@ragnkja]

@@nicolechafetz3904 Both trade goods and knowledge could travel much farther than any individual trader would be likely to travel. The Silk Road is an excellent example of how trade tended to work back then.

[@Nstone53]

I'm 1/4 Potowatomi and I still remember my grandma telling us the grandkids about how she used to speak her native tongue when she was really young. I was always interested in that. I later learned that it wasn't long after she got put into the catholic boarding school they literally beat it out of the children. It's sad. I've tried to learn some words but the language is hard and is practically dead now.

[@alexschuster1618]

I hope you're able to reclaim as much as you're able to.

[@krono5el]

Just like the Natives in Central America 100 years before their cousins in the north, they had to convert or their whole family would be tortured to death. thats why we all speak spanish, portoguese, french or english now.

[@dusktodawn3796]

Gotta love them child beating Christians. I may be 3% Native, love my country and also live in the town that King Philip was gunned down in but I am still absolutely horrified by what the English did to claim it. I even became atheist because of the atrocities that these Christians and Catholics have caused because the big sky wizard told them so.

[@HeronCoyote1234]

Have you read (or listened to) “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer? She’s of your tribe.

[@mallarieluvsgirls]

my grandmother went through the same thing!!! literal genocide. we call them residential schools in canada.

[@thestraydog]

It's such a shame that so much indigenous cuisine has disappeared but I've seen a bit more of it lately on KZbin and cooking shows. Awesome as always Max, nice choice!

[@maecooper8540]

If you are ever in Washington DC, the Museum of the American Indian has a restaurant that serves modern American Indian cuisine.

[@kingjonstarkgeryan8573]

I would be hesitant to say that it fully disappeared as it just evolved and mixed with European cusine like if you look at Mexican and other Latin American cuisine, it's a mixture of native and European cuisines. Like last night I had chicken fajitas with a side of spanish rice and refried beans. Chickens, wheat flour, rice, and many of the spices in recipe came from the old world while the bell peppers, beans, chiles, tomato, and tortillas came from, the new world

[@adedow1333]

@@maecooper8540 I can't believe that I grew up there and didn't know that.

[@maecooper8540]

@@kingjonstarkgeryan8573 right. Can you imagine Italian food without tomatoes or polenta - both new world ingredients? American food has lots of Indian influences, and American Indians still cook Indian cuisines. But of course it has cha over the years - so has everyone else's cuisines.

[@kitefan1]

People used to eat, and savor a lot of "sweet meats", and internal organs. It's often the most vitamin and fat rich part of the animal if the animal is wild game. Bone marrow is also great, even if you have to work the bone saw dust out of your mouth.

[@WannabeWoodsman]

One thing I love about this show is that Max always gives his sources which makes me want to find them and read them myself

[@peabody1976]

Good show with supporting the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project. As a funny, I hope they have a word for "hardtack" somewhere in their documents. And that stew looks great!

[@bugsmith9751]

one of the dishes that my mother who is fascinated with our native heritage, and an old native american historian friend have both specified that was at the first thanksgiving was actually... POPCORN! it was apparently a popular side dish

[@gweebara]

That is possibly the best Thanksgiving history I have ever seen. You were succinct you did not gloss it over and you did not make it a guilt trip great job Max

[@TastingHistory]

Thank you, Robert

[@Mrturtlestomps]

Hoot wireless

[@NightTimeDay]

I love when history is about history first. So used to politics coming first in my post secondary classes. Thank you Max.

[@adedow1333]

Well-balanced indeed! It takes no small amount of skill to negotiate such charged waters without upsetting the inhabitants.

[@ratgrl81]

Which is a really hard thing to get right. Thank you for your balanced prospective Max!

[@christinemascott8061]

I am from Mashpee, MA, home of the "People of the First Light". Just wanted to let you know that Plimoth "Plantation" recently changed their name to Plimoth Patuxet. Thanks for doing this piece.

[@kitefan1]

I did not know that. Thanks. Rhode Island recently took Plantation out of the state name. The evolution of meaning has scarred the word to only one (very bad) association. And adding Patuxet in is a nice honor to heritage of the land.

[@ragnkja]

I’m so happy that they’re returning to the original name of the place.

[@azureprophet]

I have been to the Old Indian Meeting House, awesome piece of historical architecture! Thanks for the update about Plimoth.

[@M_M_ODonnell]

@@ragnkja I don't know if that's being done more often, or if I just notice it more. Towns in Alaska, lakes in Minnesota...so many English place names in North America are the name of some general or governor or such, often one who never even saw the place in question. It's better all around to return the original place names.

[@ragnkja]

@@M_M_ODonnell Or the place is named after somewhere else (like Plymouth), but the name isn’t all that accurate for the new place it’s applied to. (I’m pretty sure Newcastle, Australia isn’t named after a castle that was built there, for example.)

[@craigsurette3438]

When we made this dish with my New England Native Ethnobotany professor, she made it with the cornmeal made into dumplings which were boiled in the stew when it was close to done. It was amazing that way. She also described it being sometimes thickened with acorn flour.

[@jmbad]

Thank you for making this. As a native man, thanksgiving is bittersweet and always makes me sad for my fellow natives.

[@Roach4K]

Honestly, as a Swedish man i'm very curious about different american native cultures and would love to learn more about all of the different cultures within the "U.S" before the "thing". Just know that there are people interested in your culture and heritage all around the world!

[@mattpowell06]

We have a native Floridian of Muskogee creek descent, Jimmy Sawgrass, who teaches about the history of native Indians in south eastern US. He starts every lesson by an introduction in his ancestors native tongue. Good on you, Max, for donating to help bringing life back to a forgotten language. Jimmy Sawgrass would be proud.

[@qjames0077]

This year, I'm thankful for Max always uploading around my lunch break to get me in the meal vibes 🥰

[@lisahinton9682]

How sad that their peaceful co-existence only lasted two generations (a generation being widely accepted as twenty-five years), then all heck broke loose. This was a very well-done video, Max, and the stew looks fantastic. Thank you.

[@CatharticCreation]

it seems that two generations is a long time for peace in my opinion. it's more rare than not.

[@ritawilbur7343]

In this case it really was one actual generation. One of the reasons for the lasting peace is that Bradford and Massasoit regularly went and stayed in each other's homes. One time when Massasoit became ill, Bradford went and personally nursed him back to health. These two men knew how their communities needed each other in order to survive. But when more English came and they did not have that mutual respect, Massasoit's son Metacom (aka King Phillip) and Bradford's son did not stay in each other's homes, and viewed each other's community as a threat. Metacom was the first Native American leader to try to unite the various tribes in a war against the English, but by that point it was already too late. His war, though unsuccessful, remains the most deadly war in "US" history in terms of the percentage of the English population who were killed.

[@michellek.163]

I've only discovered your channel somewhat recently, but both the videos and comment sections are a gift. Especially in touching upon such a difficult subject in US history, we can not ignore/simplify the past but face it in an honest and human way. Food has always been a bridge across cultures, a way in giving life, and representing food in an honest way helps us honestly face history as well. The teachings of the three sisters is essential in indigenous cultures, and I am glad people are more widely talking about the lessons that can be learned from it. I recommend for people to read Braiding Sweetgrass for an in-depth understanding into indigenous cultures, which involves food quite a bit. Bravo Max, well done and keep humanizing our history in the best way possible.

[@SheilaTheGrate]

Also, thank you for taking the opportunity to feature indigenous cuisine. It's really important to celebrate their culture at every opportunity.

[@Scudboy17]

I really appreciate you diving into the history of the first Thanksgiving, It's triumphs and tragedies. So much of our history has been colored by marketing and watered down to simple children's stories that's it's always good to get the larger picture of what actually occured without skewing the story for other ends. Thank you Max. You've found the perfect vehicle to deliver education and history and make it relatable and enjoyable.

[@adedow1333]

I love going over it again and again because there is always something more to learn. I love watching the interactions of different individuals and people's and how their cultures meshed and bounced off each other. It's very exciting!

[@3bellam]

I find the story of the first thanksgiving so incredibly sad, though inspiring all the same. It's insane that Tisquantum was able to find love in his heart for the Europeans who brought him such pain, and that the settlers and the local tribe were able to so peacefully get along and help each other for that fifty year period. Still it's heartbreaking that humans can switch up on each other so quickly. If only that pact had been maintained for longer, our nation's history might look quite different.

[@krono5el]

when your king and god label native people godless savages its ok to genocide them to extinction, because you got the ultimate permission. god came and blessed america.

[@kriskemp4952]

I work with the Ute tribe closely. Their culture is beautiful and rich in traditional customs. I constantly urge the youth to hold onto their ancestral language and history. This country is a more amazing place when we embrace all peoples

[@Kerithanos]

Is English culture beautiful and rich in traditional customs? Should their youth hold onto their ancestral language and history? How about the French, the Germans, Italians, Russians, etc, etc?

[@rieskimo]

@@Kerithanos pretty sure all those cultures are celebrated and appreciated. You sound upset, can't understand why though.

[@Kerithanos]

@@rieskimo Why do you think I sound upset? Maybe you're projecting?

[@katelijnesommen]

@@Kerithanos Yes, all those cultures are rich and beautiful and they are all very alive and highly celebrated in their historical 'original' regions and far beyond (especially English culture, as it was exported to many different parts of the world). What is your point?

[@Kerithanos]

@@katelijnesommen The same as Kris Kemp's, I can only presume. Why are you asking me, but not him?

[@meowcenary21]

I descend from the Echota Alabama Cherokee tribe, who were exiled from their lands during the Trail of Tears. Thank you for bringing more Native food history to the channel! Osiyo!

[@SheyD78]

Just thinking about the 'three sisters' it makes so much sense. I've had pumpkins (squashes) growing in the garden and they really do take over and shade out the weeds, mostly. Beans being nitrogen fixers would be good for the other 2 and corn providing something to climb for the beans ties it all together. Very cool.

[@catc8927]

Learning of that makes me sad for the equally brilliant Native knowledge that we could use today and must’ve lost as a result of forced cultural assimilation. The Western US is finding out the hard way why the natives here did regular prescribed burns, for instance, after record wildfires.

[@hurpdurpize]

This is a great episode. I really like the balanced approach to it. You do not shying away from some of the more shameful parts of our history but also celebrate and recognize the better parts that have similarly gone away. I am not a speaker of any of the native languages that the Wampanoag may have spoke, but the effort to try and speak their language really made this even better.

[@robwholley2115]

Great recipe and greater history. Even growing up mere miles from Plymouth, we aren't taught nearly as much as we should about the European/Indigenous history, just that we all became happy friends at Thanksgiving and lived happily ever after. We can all celebrate our family and heritage as Americans on Thanksgiving, but we also must remain wise to the things that happened that they avoid mentioning in "history" class.

[@JoanZak]

I was a history teacher for 15 years, so I agree with Max that we are all lovers of lifelong learning on this channel. That's why we love Max and Jose. This channel always makes me smile, and renews my faith in humanity!

[@jamLP]

Thank you, Max. This was a very sincere tribute and a very well rounded picture of history. If only those 50 years could have lasted forever.

[@TheAmazingKoki]

Just a tip when cooking a thick stew like this: you can cook it without stirring if you layer it properly. So in this case, you'd put the polenta on top of the other ingredients. That way the thick stuff can't go to the bottom of the pot, and you'd only have to worry about it burning after you start stirring it up. So you layer it, let all the ingredients simmer, and only stir to finish it all and maybe reduce it a little if it isn't thick enough.

[@bsteven885]

Would that layering also help in cooking this recipe for stew in a Crock Pot or other slow cooker? OR, because of the need to skim off the foam, is this recipe not suitable for a "set it and forget it" type of cooking method?

[@philaphobic]

Couldn't he just leave the polenta out until he adds the squash? Polenta doesn't take long to cook.

[@t_y8274]

@@philaphobic polenta takes a long time if you are not using instant polenta

[@philaphobic]

@@t_y8274 it's never taken me as long as dry beans

[@t_y8274]

@@philaphobic my package of polenta says 40m, and I find unsoaked beans usually take me even longer to soften. Could be the products in my country are different

[@mayedwards5557]

This is my favorite show on KZbin! For real, love you Max!!!!

[@TastingHistory]

Thank you, May!

[@patricioiasielski8816]

This dish is pretty similar to "Locro", also a common holiday food here in Argentina. It's eaten mainly in independence day (9th of July), 25 de mayo and workers day (1st of may). The main differences are that the corn used is white (although it can vary) and just cracked (not ground), the beans are a big type of lima bean called "pallares", and it uses tough cuts of cow's meat with a lot of bone and connective tissue, and it also uses pig's trotter, pig's skin and "chorizo colorado" (a cured chorizo with a lot of paprika/pimenton).

[@krono5el]

in Central and South America the Natives would have used turkey, lama, or venison.

[@SlavicCelery]

Sounds like he got pretty close to the genuine article. Cool!

[@patricioiasielski8816]

sorry but I think I didn't asked you@@johnjones9065

[@leehughes5336]

TO : ( @patricioiasielski8816 ) "your maiden name wouldn't happen to be (Patricia Elvira Bravo) would it" ???

[@PokhrajRoy.]

So excited that this is another episode of ‘We don’t actually know the origins of this’ kind of episode. Such fun!

[@this_is_ironic5659]

i am a 12th generation descendent of Elder William Brewster, who no doubt was present at this first thanksgiving, and i could not be happier to hear about the fact that you're supporting the wampanoag language reclamation project. i lived in plymouth for the first 18 years of my life and became intimately acquainted with wampanoag historians and if there is a people more deserving of support (given the federal government's refusal to recognize them as a legitimate native nation) i cannot think of them. they are some of the kindest people i have ever met, and it truly warms my heart to see the history of my great state and its first inhabitants being given their due diligence and being given the support they so desperately need to reclaim their mother tongue. thank you so much, max. this video truly made my day. thank God for the wampanoag people. if they had not provided for my forefathers during that cold, bitter winter of 1620, I surely would not be writing this comment.

[@goldenscales]

One thing I love about Tasting History is that these episodes really opens a window into an (almost) lost past! Thanks, Max!

[@APFC95]

As a non American that did not know that story, it was WILD, equally moving and cruel, wow

[@FriendlyKitten]

Wild Garlic is amazing, I pick in the spring, and salt-preserve for the winter, just gets better and better as it sits in the fridge!

[@vlamb4769]

Having grown up in Massachusetts, not much of the history part of this episode was new information for me... but I'll be damned if I didn't enjoy it anyway 😁 I'm not sure if this is still the case, since I haven't been there in about fifteen years, but the Robert S. Peabody Museum in Andover, MA used to have the Three Sisters growing in the front of the building (complete with crushed shell fertilizer) as a living example of historical Native American agriculture. If you ever get a chance to visit the Boston area, I HIGHLY recommend checking this museum out.

[@Cheez-It92]

Thank you for talking both about the good and the bad in these historical events. So many people only want to talk about one or the other. The highs we should celebrate and the tragedies we should mourn.

[@blanchekonieczka9935]

Beautiful explanation of the three sisters. Learned about this decades ago and used the knowledge in my garden to grow the best corn I ever had. Corn is a heavy nitrogen feeder, so I always planted legumes between the rows to fix more nitrogen into the soil. The only squash I planted was zucchini because my husband (ex husband now) didn't like other squashes. This was a wonderful episode. Thank you for all you do to entertain and educate us!

[@4nn13h7]

My great x10 great-grandfather was on the Mayflower. I don’t think they’d have done differently if they knew how it would turn out for the Native Americans who helped them, because the early European settlers seem to have been very small-minded and self-interested. But I am very grateful for the decency that the Wôpanâak showed them. It could well be the only reason my family is alive today. Those were truly good people.

[@TwistedRootsVanVelzerPress]

I'm a publisher and have a book coming out - historical fiction - on Mary Brewster - if you are interested let me know and I can put you on the book launch list :)

[@hollybryant721]

Loved this episode. Sad parts of our History with some great to come out of it. So much hardships. The symbiotic plant of the 3 Sisters is something new I learned as well as Squanto being sold & learning English from that time in captivity. Definitely do not remember this bring taught in school. Be kind, be courteous, be grateful, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!

[@fedra76it]

The more videos I watch - and I've been watching them all, almost since the very beginning - the more I realize what a bright man you are.

[@TastingHistory]

Thank you, Simona. I always appreciate you : )

[@JuniperBear-rt2qu]

I just want to say Thank you so much for making a wampanoag Thanksgiving dinner in honor of my Ancestors, Thank you for talking about the History of my Ancestors, I am a proud wampanoag Descendant of the seaconke wampanoag Tribe, & yess we Are still HERE, I've been on my reconnecting and healing journey for almost 3 years Now. Your video made me cry thank you for being a Beautiful human with a beautiful Heart. Happy Holidays to you & your Loved ones. A'ho ❤️

[@vitorpereira9515]

Here in Brazil, but specifically here in the city of Belém in the state of Pará, we have the largest Christian pilgrimage in the world, o círio de Nazaré. Every year over 2 million people from Brazil and beyond come to our city to honor Mary, the mother of our lord. And on Sunday of the círio we have a Thanksgiving lunch that we eat with friends and family. Is too good!

[@alexanderkelsey202]

I’m so glad you’re doing things on indigenous foods and supporting the Wôpanâôk language project! I know a few words, “I love you” is Kuwámanush (or Kuwômônush)

[@SessaV]

I love that you're supporting this cause! My grandma was Ojibwe and my grandpa was Algonquin and I've been trying to learn more. Basically I can say hello and thank you, and that was something i learned as a child lol.

[@astra1653]

Language reclaimations are so wonderful, and I'm glad to see you talk about and support this project.

[@sophiophile]

Glad you mentioned the three sisters. The same concepts are great for home gardens (though you can use other plants than corn for your nitrogen rich tall plant)

[@bakedpotato1717]

Max, thank you for being here and doing this with such love, effort, and passion. Your videos are helping me through a bad time in my life, and I appreciate you and Jose. When I don’t feel like smiling, I turn on your videos because they always get a smile out of me (and I learn!)

[@JacquelineNewsome]

This was a really amazing episode. I truly didn't know some of the details and it was both heartbreaking and reinforcing of why things like the Reclamation Project are so important. Thank you for creating such a great educational resource for us

[@sistermary1107]

Thank you for actually telling us that the Pilgrims spend 12 years in Holland, Leiden to be precise. Yes, they fled religious prosecution in great britain and they stayed in Leiden and Amsterdam where they complained that the Dutch were 'too liberal' and thus, they had to leave for the new world because only the new world would give them religious freedom aka ... conservatism. But I'm loving this episode and your respect for the indigenous people of America. Over the years I've learned how much knowledge they had about cultivation of crops, the lands and so many complex and interesting languages.

[@mca4093]

I'm thankful that North America became what it is. Its a haven for prosperity and liberty for most people that live here. It is sobering to think of the violence and lack of mercy that exists in the world, then and now. The Pilgrims and Wampanoag provided us an example of how to live side by side.

[@mattschmitz2566]

I am now convinced you're trying to drop the hard tack clip into every video. This makes me very happy.

[@DavidHall-ge6nn]

You put a lot of heart -- and research -- into this one, Max. Perfectly done!

[@BigboiiTone]

Squanto showed amazing generosity of spirit. Showing these people, who were responsible for the death of his entire people, how to gather food from the land. He had more grace than I would have

[@indiansunburn1]

This was great. Everything you do is great. I’m a full on addict and when you reference how certain word mash-ups would make for terrific band names, it makes me feel like I’ve found a piece of my long lost tribe here on your channel. Thanks so much for that. I never knew there were so many of us (food, history, documentary, and language lovers) out there. ❤

[@vmitchinson]

Actually the first TG was in CANADA 100 years before.

[@Obsidian_Butterfly_xo]

As a fellow Native American Indian i just wanna say thank-you for this video and sharing it to the world *Hugs* , it's very important for others to learn our Culture & History which through food , our language etc , please LEARN your history and do your research

[@Ben-kv7wr]

I was soooo excited to hear you mention the Wôpanâak language reclamation institute! For the first time in hundreds of years, there are native speakers of the Wôpanâak language, thanks to the efforts and knowledge of Jessie Little Doe Baird

[@o0hotoko0o]

I'll love the hardtack sounds for the rest of my days.

[@LazyLifeIFreak]

History can be a bitter pill to swallow but its better to know of the deeds of the past so one can avoid them for the future.

[@mrs.g.9816]

I always give your videos a like, even if I can't comment. Sometimes there is so much to think about. I can only imagine the horror and grief of anyone who comes back home, only to see everyone he knows and loves wiped out - gone forever. I'm filled with hope every time I hear of native languages and customs being resurrected and taught. This stew would make a great winter dish. Up here in Vermont, quite a few people I know hunt deer and supplement their meat supplies.

[@Ohwhale79]

Yessss!!! What a WONDERFUL charity you are supporting Max! I've seen a video about the founders of the organization and the work that they're doing and it really is amazing!

[@vharrald]

The main thing I really like about your channel, is the dedication to the true history, not just of the food, but also the culture that created the food... Thank you Max.

[@mmandmeows]

I've tagged you in social media but also wanted to say thank you so much for making the playlists, we have an almost 5mo baby, and so when I'm sitting and holding a sleeping baby it's lovely to listen to and we've fallen asleep many times to your dulcet tones, so, truly thank you from the bottom of my heart

[@hiley.english]

I am an enrolled member of my tribe (Citizen Potawatomi) and although I do not celebrate Thanksgiving, I always appreciate your thorough research and explanations in each video. Also "miigwech", or 'thank you' in Anishinaabemowin for bringing awareness and giving support to the education of Native languages. I'm so happy that my late grandfather and father both were so proud of their heritage and passed it on to me. Our tribe also has language education classes and have lobbied hard to include our language as a replacement, or be supplemented alongside English, on road and building signage.

[@jjtacular]

Excellent video! "We Still Live Here: Âs Nutayuneân" is an excellent documentary on the revitalization of the Wampanoag language that people should watch, if it has not already been mentioned here!

[@sorchaOtwo]

Thanks for the recipes and history. Hope your holidays are great! ; )

[@Traci_Websinger]

Squee! Totally nerding out, not only on Max's wonderful video (also thanks to Jose!), but also on the comments and all that people are sharing. Love you people! 💜

[@bernadettebaird7124]

Thank you from Massachusetts! It’s so important that people know both sides of the story.

[@lavenderlylin]

I have been waiting for this episode all of my life! Thank you so much, Max!

I love that you're helping with the language reclamation. You're good people. Thank you.

[@ambergustafson6345]

Well done, Max. This is such a challenging subject. Thank you for centering the stories of the indigenous people and speaking honestly about what preceded and followed that one storied (and much glamorized) three day feast. Really excellent content. Keep it up!

[@Robocline]

Max I really appreciate your fair approach to history. So many people take these stories as an excuse to denigrate and condemn people based on modern points of view. I think it’s important that we look at history the way future generations should look at us. We don’t know all the answers of the world and most of us are good people just trying to live our best lives. I think the same is true about previous generations. I think your genuine interest and thirst for knowledge is why your channel has been so successful.

[@Linuxpunk81]

I grew up in Massachusetts and Thanksgiving always felt somehow like a local holiday 😂

[@TastingHistory]

It was for the longest time. It didn’t really spread until the Civil War.

[@Linuxpunk81]

@@TastingHistory ha! You're right! I grew up in fall river Massachusetts in the southeast part of the state so grew up with all these names as schools and buildings, street names and school Mascots, it's good to reflect on what actually happened and that these were real people. I live in southeast Connecticut now which has it's own unique native history that's also very intertwined with the people in the area I grew up. Great video as always!

[@newcamomile]

Serious Eats has a great article about Thanksgiving being a 'Yankee feast' and not celebrated in the South for a long time.

[@dphylan]

This channel is fantastic. Happy Early Thanksgiving!

[@peterhaag5225]

One thing worth remembering is Plymouth is right on the ocean so probably a lot of seafood

[@ThinkingBearArt]

Just want to say how much I enjoy this channel and how calming and enjoyable and comforting it is to watch. I’m a foodie and a lover of history and I just want to say please keep it up because not only is there a lot of talent that goes into this show but there’s a lot of nerdy love. We appreciate you!

[@helensernett9477]

I love the spirit of how my family celebrated thanksgiving. In recent times I’ve become more aware of the pain the holiday brings for many. Thanks for doing this video with love.

[@idraote]

The way they used to grow the three sisters is simple genius. Simple, because once you know how is done there's nothing difficult about it, but genius because finding three plants that enhance each other's growth must have taken time and experimentations.

[@BP-ef8mr]

What a WONDERFUL episode! I really enjoyed it. Thanks Max and Jose!

[@TastingHistory]

Thank you!

[@eledatowle8767]

We live in Western Maine, once inhabited by the Pequawkets. They were known for their annual migration from the White Mountains around what is now North Conway, NH, down the Saco River to the ocean at Biddeford Pool, Maine. Along the way, in the spring, they'd plant the Three Sisters near the Great Falls in Hiram, just about a mile from us. The planting technique worked so well that after planting them, they'd continue on their way, not returning to the garden site until their trip home in the autumn. They'd harvest the food on the way. Think of all the time we spend tending our gardens... They had a much better system!

[@kitchentroll5868]

Regarding dry beans and pre-soaking, it really comes down to humidity levels during storage. In former times, before the plastic age, beans were generally purchased in mass quantities packaged in cloth bags. That is not to say that modern plastic bags are fool-proof in every regard, but the problems presented by old cloth bags are less frequently encountered. Even the commonly seen plastic bag of dried beans can be riddled with microscopic perforations that allow humidity to damage the dried beans within. On account of this, one can buy several bags of dried beans and get vastly differing results from each bag. I, myself, have encountered grocery-bought bags of beans that never fully re-hydrated even with 10 hours of cooking. With this in mind, consider that in a warm, humid environment, such as the many-rivered East Coast of the USA (be it Florida or the Mid-Atlantic region), if not kept with great care, the outermost layer of a dried bean can become partially re-hydrated and modify the bean starches, this can later become dehydrated as weather changes, resulting in a sort of surface layer on affected beans that acts like a seal against deeper re-hydration during future use. My paternal grandmother would refer to such beans as "old". In her thinking, the only way to get around this problem was parboiling the beans in UNSALTED water, removing the pot from the heat, and leaving them to soak over night (either under refrigeration or in a cold room). Here, the heat is required to re-modify the affected starch layer sealing the bean. A superior method she found was to use a pressure cooker to cook "old" beans. The science of this is simple, the high pressure first fractures the modified starch layer and forces moisture deeper into the beans.

[@richdiddens4059]

Another factor is the hardness of the water. Where I live I've found a rounded tablespoon of baking soda added to the hot soak water also helps. You just have to thoroughly rinse the beans after the soak.

[@gayleblake4482]

I have lived on Cape my entire life and I've learned some new things here.They tend to leave things out in school.Thank You.

[@prof_parahelix2390]

Thank you, Max, I'm totally starting a prog rock group called "The Symbiotic Plant Complex" and our first album will be "Nitrogen Fixation" featuring our breakout single, "Meristem" "Guardian Cell" is the name of our experimental album of epic melodic rock with tracks including "Stomata" as a dark brooding piece featuring Gregorian chant

[@bsteven885]

Clever, VERY clever... 🤓😂😎 LOVE IT!

[@KyleDornez]

"Lifelong subscription with 20 day money back guarantee" is the most ominous advertisement I've heard in a while.

[@hijodelaisla275]

The benefit (I'm told) of soaking the beans overnight is that it creates consistency in the cooking time. Commercial beans are sometimes of mixed ages and dryness, and some will cook more quickly than others. Overnight soaking is supposed to even this process out.

[@ragnkja]

More than that, it makes the beans gentler on the digestive system by leaching out some of the oligosaccharides, which our bodies can’t digest but some of our gut bacteria can. At least it does if you discard the soaking water.

[@hiyahandsome]

Thank you Max, I admire you more and more as you explore history and cooking. Thanks to you and to Jose and all the best to you and yours for a very Happy Thanksgiving.

[@TastingHistory]

Thank you!

[@MalO.ver1.0.x]

Man,... What is better than coming home from a 9,5h shift, taking a shower, grabbing a nice cup of cappuccino and seeing a brand new video from Max in the notifications.

[@MalO.ver1.0.x]

@Sarafina Summers When I drink only one of it, right after I come home, my body processed the caffeine when I need to go to bed (it's also a rather small cup because an entire mug would keep me up for hours after I went to bed >_>). So it's a matter of how fast and how much I allow myself some cappuccino. lol (however I'm still salty about my body changing when I turned 20, because I could drink coffee and energy drinks on mass without having any issues falling asleep what so ever, and I'm talking here about 6 large mugs of coffee in the middle of the night 🥲)

[@MalO.ver1.0.x]

@Sarafina Summers Also, I usually drink green tea after I come home (love that stuff), so I won't get tempted with drinking my other favourite beverage, cappuccino. T_T

[@Julessa]

I didn't know about the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project. Thank you, Max! I have been looking for a great cause to support!

[@lisahoshowsky4251]

I’d really like someone to cover how Canada came to have thanksgiving as well and why it’s earlier, the focus always seems to be on the US one. Also, I did my firth three sisters garden this summer! My squash never fruited but I’m still calling is a success considering I’ve never done corn before and it’s been forever since I did beans!

[@ragnkja]

Harvest celebrations naturally follow the harvest, and when winter comes earlier the harvest has to be earlier as well.

[@judithcoloma613]

@@SamAronow My in-laws in Canada celebrate Thanksgiving in mid to late October. It's not too much about Pilgrims though. They usually have baked ham instead of turkey. Fun fact, my 8th-grade history teacher told us that the Mayflower was supposed to dock in Jamestown, Virginia. A storm blew its way off course and they wound up landing on Cape Cod. Also, Basque fishermen had been fishing for cod along the New England and Canadian Maritime for 300 years at least. They would then dry and salt the cod and sail back to the Iberian Pennisula and sell a monopoly of bacalao.

[@ragnkja]

@@SamAronow It was that particular group’s first harvest in the new land. Harvest-thanksgiving feasts have a very long and rich history in Europe, and presumably most other parts of the world, with a few obvious exceptions such as Antarctica.

[@rideswift]

If you do some research, youll find that Thanksgiving actually started in Canada, Not the US. The Pilgrim story is the first documented American Thanksgiving

[@mindstalk]

My guess: it's earlier in Canada because the growing season is shorter and harvest comes earlier.

[@toniomalley5661]

Thank you so much for this opportunity to learn the truth of the pilgrims and more importantly the history of the native peoples completely different from the story we have been told for so long