1) The narrator, a Wampanoag girl, sees a large ship arrive and alerts the village. She later sees white men in the woods with muskets. 2) The tribe decides to send Squanto and 50 men to negotiate with the white men after problems arise. The girl is relieved when they return safely with an agreement. 3) The document provides context about Wampanoag life, including that the girl does daily chores like watching corn from a tower and that the tribe lives in circular homes called Wetus.

1. Journal Entries from a
Wampanoag Girl
BMS Student

2. November 13, 1620.
A couple days ago, my friends and I were playing
in the forest when we spotted a very large ship
dock onto the shore. Immediately, we ran back to
the village to tell someone. After telling someone,
I went home. When I got home, my mother sent
me off to do my chores. First, I walked to the
garden and climbed up to the top of the corn
watch tower. I sat up there throwing pebbles at
the birds for about two hours. At the end of the
day, I went home and I made a doll while my
mother made mats and bags to decorate our
Wetu. I then helped my mother cook some deer
for supper my father and brother had hunted. The
next day, we went to play in the woods, but we
heard loud noises. I climbed up the tree to see
what it was, and there were some white men with
muskets. We again, went to alert the chief. Then
Chief Massasoit watched the men for hours. He
then reported to the village what he had seen.
Now, they’re talking with each other about what
we should do. I think there is going to be some
trouble.

3. April 17, 1621
Our tribe has finally come to an agreement to talk
to the white men about our problem. Squanto
offered to go to the place the white men were
living, and reason with the white men. Squanto and
about fifty other men took two mishoons to the
place the men were. I feared that the men may be
violent towards them, and they wouldn’t return
home. After the men were out of sight, I walked
back to the village with the rest of the tribe. When I
got home, I had to do my daily chores all over
again. Sit on top of the corn watch tower, help with
the mats and bags, and help cook supper. When I
had finished, I went to the woods to see if I could
see the men if they had returned. As I climbed
down the tree. The two mishoons landed ashore. I
ran to the edge of the river to greet them. Squanto
got everyone’s attention. “Fellow Wampanoag, we
come with great news. The men have come up with
an agreement.” I am so thrilled that we reasoned
with the

4. What’s a Wetu?
A Wetu is a home that the
Wampanoag Indians lived in. A
Wetu was made of saplings bent
into a circular shape. In the
summer, the frame was covered
with woven grass. In the winter,
bark was used. Inside, there
were woven mats, animal skins,
and a smoke hole. Women made
mats to put on the floor to make
it look nice. They also made
bags to help with storage. A
Wetu usually fit 8-10 people.

5. What ‘s for Supper?
In the winter, the
Wampanoag ate
wild game such as
rabbit, squirrel,
turkey, and deer.
In the summer
they ate fruits,
vegetables, and
fish.

6. What is a Mishoon?
A mishoon was dug out canoe that
the Wampanoag made out of a
large, straight tree. To get the
tree down, they’d burn it around
the bottom . After the tree was
down, they removed all
branches. They then burned it
and scraped out the sides on
the inside while it burned. It
usually took 24 hours to burn.
One mishoon could hold 30-40
men.

7. Corn Watching
The Wampanoag children
would sit on top of a tall
wooden tower called a “Corn
Watching Tower”. The children
kept a pile of pebbles on the
top. They watched for birds
and small animals in the
garden. When they saw one,
they would shoo it away by
throwing pebbles at the bird or
small animals.

8. Bibliography
“Daily Life: Chores.” The First Thanksgiving. Scholastic, 2013.
12 November 2013
http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/da
ily_life/chores.htm.
“Daily Life: Food.” The First Thanksgiving. Scholastic, 2013.
12 November 2013
http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/da
ily_life/food.htm.
“Daily Life: Housing.” The First Thanksgiving. Scholastic,
2013.12 November 2013
http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/daily_l
ife/housing.htm