Disney's "Squanto a Warriors Tale" vs. Colonial Reality Well I must admit I enjoyed the movie. But then again I like movies with happy endings. In watching the movie "Squanto a Warriors Tale" I got exactly that. And they all lived happily ever after. However, I know that in reality there was no happy ending for Squanto or any of the many other Indian tribes that encountered the Europeans.
The movie starts out with a wedding ceremony. Squanto marries Nacooma who's hair is covered in shells and they talk about the wearing of the Wampum belt. Wampum is shells that the Indians used for trade.
Then there is the arrival of the English ship. At first the Indians seem surprised and almost angry but they rush off to meet them and for some reason one of the English speaks their language. In this scene it is hard to tell whether or on it is the Indian tribes first encounter with these people.
English: Squanto or Tisquantum teaching the Plymou...
A map depicting the travels of Tisquantum, a.k.a. ...
English: How Well The Corn Prospered. Squanto or T...We know from our readings that when the Indians first saw the enormous ships they believed them to be floating Islands inhabited by supernatural spirits and sometimes covered by white clouds (the sails) from which lightning and thunder came, which in reality what they were witnessing was the firing of the cannons. We also know that the tribes had their own languages so in order for the English to know how to speak their language he would have had to spend a lot of time with this particular tribe. Next in the movie the English show the Indians some trinkets and other stuff for trade and they ask for five men to go to help them take their stuff back to their ship. Squanto is one of the Indians who go with them. He tells Nacooma...