Family Book Study

Old South families (and interested adults) are invited to join into a fall book study as we read indigenous author Linda Coombs' young readers book: Colonization and the Wampanoag Story. This book presents a duet of stories -- one, a first-person account of a young Wampanoag child and what her life, education, and faith looked like -- and the other the story of the 'English' arriving and colonizing the area. These two veins of storytelling alternate back and forth, presenting the very different mindsets of the Wampanoag and other indigenous tribes and the arriving colonizers. 

In conjunction with the Congregational Library, Kate Nintcheu (Dir. Children and Families) has created a book study curriculum, breaking up the readings into 5 sections over 9 weeks -- including an author talk on zoom on Tuesday October 29th and a visit to the Congregational Library to view some of the artifacts they hold from this time period on Sunday November 17th. Families are encouraged to read the book over the week, and to set aside time to discuss the 3-5 discussion questions together before beginning the next sections. 

To join, email Kate at children@oldsouth.org.

Schedule

Section 1 (Sept 15 - Sept 28): Read Introduction, Chapter 1, and Chapter 2

Following Chapter 2

• In your own words, what would you say is the Doctrine of Discovery? 
• What happens when you encounter a group of people for the first time? What assumptions do you bring with you? How do you open yourself up to understanding them? How well do you think Christopher Columbus did in meeting the Guanahani people.
• Look back at the sections Greeting This Day and New Year Ceremony of “When Life Was Our Own”. Do you see any similarities between their beliefs and rituals and your own?
• What do you see as the biggest difference between the Guanahani way of life and that of Columbus and his shipmates?

Section 2 (Sept 29 - Oct 5):  Read Chapters 3 - 6

Following Chapter 4: 

• Why would European ship captains think it was all right to kidnap Indigenous men? 
• Think about the number of people who died in the plague. How many people live in your town or city? What would it look like if 80% of the people died? How would families be affected? How would businesses be affected? How would schools be affected? How would your neighborhood be affected? How would community life be affected?

Following Chapter 6: 

• How did the English justify colonizing North America?
• How did people in Little Bird’s community receive help if needed? How would your community provide help if needed?
• What are some of the injustices done to the Indigenous communities that we learn about in these chapters? How do the stated intentions of these actions differ from the consequences of the actions? 

Section 3 (Oct 6 - 19): Read Chapters 7 - 10

Following Chapter 8: 

• Through what process was indigenous peoples' land taken by the English, and what role did racism play in their rationale?
• How would history be different if the English had not made so many assumptions about indigenous people, and had really taken the time to speak with us about our cultural and spiritual ways? 

Following Chapter 10: 

• How are laws created and enforced within a society? Who gets a say and are all laws applied equally? What do you think about how the colonial laws of Massachusetts were imposed on the indigenous communities?
• What might it have been like if the English had acknowledged and followed indigenous protocols and laws upon entering their territories? How might things have turned out differently?
• Reflect on the environmental impact that colonialism had on North America? How do you think Boston looked in 1624 (before the colonizers) compared to 2024?

Section 4 (Oct 20 - 27): Read Chapters 11 - Epilogue

Following Chapter 12: 

• How does the way you educate students reflect the values of a successful adult in a society? Can you describe the differences between an Indigenous education and English education and what “success” might have looked like for each? 
• How would you describe your own educational goals and what you need to learn to be successful in the future?
• What questions will you ask author Linda Coombs about Colonization and the Wampanoag Story?

EVENT: Tuesday Oct 29 6:00 pm - Author talk on zoom

Section 5 (Nov 3 - 17): 

EVENT: Sunday Nov 17 - Congregational Library Visit

More information coming soon!