This book has been invaluable as I develop my course on indigenous peoples. I plan to have students buy this text.

Reviewed for Shelf Awareness. Full review to be found via Shelf Awareness: https://www.shelf-awareness.com/readers/2019-12-17/this_land_is_their_land:_the_wampanoag_indians_plymouth_colony_and_the_troubled_history_of_thanksgiving.html

Most people born and raised in the United States are have this idealized (whitewashed) version of the first Thanksgiving that is popularized by what is taught in early education. These people often underestimate the rich history and culture of the people who inhabited the United States before their ancestors invaded it. For those people Silverman's book will be a revelation because it humanizes the members Narragansett and Wampanoag nations and shows them as perceptive people who knew what was what.

**I received an advanced readers copy of this book through NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Simply, this is a necessary read. Though academic in tone, Silverman constructs a very detailed history of the indigenous peoples of New England and their constant struggle with the arrival of European settlers starting in the 1600s. I found the layer of details so fascinating, most of which has never been discussed or taught in history classes in the United States. It's a heartbreaking and maddening history of the Wampanoag Indians; Silverman does provide a look at the Wampanoags in contemporary times as well. Over 400 pages, with 100 pages of endnotes (a historian's dream!), this is a must read for anyone who wishes to know the true story of Thanksgiving and how relations between the indigenous peoples and the European settlers truly evolved over time.

***I was granted an ARC of this via Netgalley from the publisher.***

When we think of Thanksgiving we usually think of time spent with family and plates filled with traditional Thanksgiving food. We make allusions to the circumstances of the first Thanksgiving in decorations featuring friendly pilgrims and Indians and if one is in school or has children in school perhaps a Thanksgiving play. But rarely do we think about the true circumstances surrounding the first Thanksgiving and the fraught reality of the relations between the Pilgrim and the Native Americans. This Land is Their Land by Daniel J. Silverman does just that, shining a light on a part of history many of us know little about. In this book, Silverman reveals to the reader a brief history of native peoples to the Americas before focusing on the Wampanoags, the Native Americans the Pilgrims first encountered, and the surrounding native peoples. He describes the complex culture of these peoples before their encounter with Europeans and what occurred after contact leading up to the pilgrims, most of which ended violently. He then covers the interactions between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags and the reasons why the chief or sachem, Ousamequin, decided to establish relations with the Pilgrims. Silverman does an excellent job examining the relationship between the two groups and why they made the decisions they made which eventually ended in King Phillips War and almost destruction of the Native American culture in New England. However, Silverman highlights the strength of the Native Americans, their ability to adapt and resist erasure both physically and in history while encouraging the reader to take steps in their own lives to acknowledge the truth surrounding the first Thanksgiving. This is an excellent book that should be recommended reading for every American.

Rating: 5 stars. Would highly recommend to a friend.

The author's painstaking research and attention to detail is obvious in the writing of this book. There were many facts that I only discovered after reading this!

A lot of good and interesting information, on Thanksgiving, the Cape Cod area, the societies of both the native americans and pilgrims at the time. I would recommend for readers that enjoy U.S. history.

Read if you: Want an in-depth understanding of Native American history in the Cape Cod area before and after the arrival of the Pilgrims.

Through detailed description and analysis, David D. Sherman provides a new look on the "first Thanksgiving," the Wampanoag society before and after the Pilgrims arrived, and (at the end) how Thanksgiving (or "National Day of Mourning") is remembered in the Cape Cod Native American communities.

If this information is new to you, this will probably not be the fastest read--there is a lot to take in! But it is definitely an eye-opening perspective.

Many thanks to Bloomsbury USA and Netgalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

David Silverman has done extensive research into "Thanksgiving" . This is what people should be taught in school. Everyone should read this book. It is well written,a little dry.

THIS LAND IS THEIR LAND by David J. Silverman provides an impeccably well researched account of the true events that transpired surrounding the holiday that the United States celebrates as "Thanksgiving.." The text is illuminated with pertinent illustrations that help to bring the history of of the Wampanoag to life. This extensive book examines the history of the indigenous peoples that inhabited the United States before the white settlers came to America. Silverman shows that the Wampanoag and other tribes possessed their own complex civilization before pilgrims set foot on Plymoth Rock. Silverman does not shy away from the stark realities regarding the interactions between Europeans and Native Americans. Using a vast amount of historical evidence, he brings to light the often times shameful ways that the United States has dealt with the Indians. This is an excellent book for those who are interested in learning about the hidden side of history.

Wow. I'm not sure I will ever look at Thanksgiving, and especially the traditional images of the Pilgrims and Plymouth Rock, the same way ever again. There is a lot of information to digest in this book. Very eye-opening.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A fascinating insight into the truth behind the Thanksgiving holiday myth. Silverman efficiently dismantles every pre-conceived, childhood-taught belief about the relationship between the Indigenous people and the settlers. A bit dry and academic at times, this novel none the less is an engrossing read and is a great source for those who want to better understand race relations and the early days of America's occupation by the Puritans.

A special thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.