American Indians Recast Thanksgiving Lessons

By Sean Cavanagh

The classroom scenes are unfolding once again with the seasonal rhythm of autumn colors: teachers leading students through tales of Pilgrims and Indians, roast turkeys and pumpkin pies, Thanksgiving traditions and Colonial history.

But it's only one version of history.

As scholars have grown more knowledgeable about the evolution of the Thanksgiving holiday, some teachers and school systems have encouraged what they see as a more accurate retelling of that famous feast in Plymouth,...