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Carole Mikita reporting As we talk turkey and football today, there are still some Utahns pausing to remember their ancestors, the Pilgrims.
By now, America is full of millions of descendants of those early settlers. They have a unique perspective on this day.
"They began now to gather in the small harvest they had"... so wrote Governor William Brewster, leader of a brave band of men and women known as The Pilgrims. Their determination to build a free society in the New World is recreated at the living history museum 'Plimoth Plantation'
In a way, the Pilgrims belong to all of us today, but to some Utahns, they are much more.
Steven Brewster, descendant of William Brewster: "As a kid, that was a big deal... Because you wanted to tell everybody you were related to a pilgrim..."
Steven Brewster remembers going on a family vacation to Plimoth Plantation when he was 12. His father, Robert, made the genealogical link back to William Brewster. Thanksgiving to them is remembering and living up to their heritage.
Robert Sheldon Brewster, descendant of William Brewster "To perpetuate the ideals and the principals that they came over here for...."
Steven Brewster "We're the fortunate ones...we're the ones who have religious freedom today because of what they did..."
'The Mayflower' left England in September 1620 with 102. They arrived off course and too late to plant crops.
Jenny Pulsipher, historian, Early America: "During that first winter half of them died, which is pretty horrendous...in terms of mortality... Of starvation, various sicknesses...so, they were really in desperate straights."
Julie McElhiney and her daughter, Chris Hair, are descendants of both Governor William Bradford and Captain Miles Standish. Knowing their connection, they say, has helped define who they are.
Chris Hair, descendant of William Bradford & Miles Standish: "I guess the amazing thing to me is that they were ordinary people. But they did an extraordinary thing...so, I guess it's a reminder that we can do extraordinary things in our lives, the things that seem too hard to do..."
Julie McElhiney, descendant of William Bradford & Miles Standish: "They all came together to work together for the future...and I guess if a little bit of that spirit wore off on all of us, we'd be a lot better in the world, wouldn't we?"
We know very little about what we call 'the first Thanksgiving'...in the fall of 1621. But historians agree at their 3-day Harvest Feast they entertained 90 Indians.
As a member of the Utah Mayflower Soceity and a descendant of John Alden, Kirk Hagen hopes many will pause and ponder.
Kirk Hagen, Ph.D., descendant of John Alden: "I think it's something we should do and even must do when we sit down at our thanksgiving meal on Thursday and think about that heritage and think about the sacrifice of those who went before us... "
Some people hesitate to celebrate because of what the English eventually did to the Indians. But even some Native American leaders have tempered that. Professor Pulsipher quotes Russell Peters.
Jenny Pulsipher, Ph.D., historian, Early America "We should think about the past and take the lessons of the past and make a more harmonious future...I think that's a wonderful message of Thanksgiving...."
If you think you might be or are wondering if you could be related to one of the Pilgrims, the Utah Mayflower Society may be able to help you. Click on the link above.
