Thanksgiving arrives next week, and the iconic that pops into most people’s minds during this holiday is a big, roasted turkey in the middle of the kitchen table. But how did these large birds become a classic representation of this holiday? We took some time to dive a little deeper and learn more about the history of turkeys in North America, how Thanksgiving became a holiday, and how turkeys ended up as the main attraction on this day.
Wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) have always been native to the Americas. In fact, there is only one other species of turkey in the entire world: the Ocellated Turkey (Meleagris ocellata), which lives in Central America, and has beautiful plumage that more closely resembles a peacock than the wild turkeys we are familiar with.
Long before European settlers arrived in the New World, Native Americans had a complex and nuanced relationship with the wild turkey. Archaeological evidence shows that various tribes interacted with, used, and consumed turkeys for thousands of years. Here is an in-depth look at the turkey’s role in Native American history and culture.
Turkey Feathers Were Highly Prized
Native Americans did not immediately view the turkey as just a food source In fact, turkey feathers were one of the turkey’s most valued attributes for centuries. Their feathers were used to make warm blankets and cloaks by tribes like the Tuscarora and Wampanoag in the East The Hopi in the Southwest incorporated turkey feathers into ceremonial costumes and dances. Not only were feathers collected from molting turkeys, but they were also plucked from living birds in a sustainable way. The feathers’ spiritual significance demonstrates that turkeys held meaning beyond practical uses.
Turkey Eggs Provided Sustenance
While turkey meat was not an initial focus, Native Americans did consume turkey eggs much earlier Turkey eggs were an excellent source of fat and protein. Archaeological evidence shows they were eaten and that eggs were intentionally incubated to raise new flocks Additionally, turkey egg shells provided material for paint pigments. Intact cached eggs decorated with red ochre hints they may have also had ritual uses.
Hunting Turkeys for Meat Came Later
Despite a lengthy period of turkey domestication, there is limited evidence Native Americans butchered them for meat until around 900-1000 AD. For centuries prior, they were kept for feathers, eggs, and likely cultural purposes. The shift to hunting turkeys for consumption increased dramatically in the centuries before European arrival. Turkey bones with cut marks at New Mexico pueblos indicate they were slaughtered, prepared, and eaten from 1300-1425 AD.
Turkey Bones Were Transformed into Tools
Following slaughter, Native Americans made use of every turkey part. The bones were fashioned into awls, flutes, tubes, and beads. Leg bones worked well for tattooing implements. The wishbone was likely used recreationally as it is today. These repurposed bones reduced waste and exemplified Native Americans’ efficient use of available resources.
Artwork Depicted Turkeys’ Significance
Beyond practical applications, turkeys held cultural and spiritual significance. They were incorporated into rock art, ceramics, and songs. Stylized turkey tracks frequently appeared on Native American art, symbolizing the turkey’s imprint on their culture. The ubiquity of turkey imagery demonstrates the reverence and multipurpose value Native Americans placed on the wild turkey for millennia.
Well before pilgrims and turkeys sat down to dine, Native Americans developed a nuanced, sustainable relationship with these birds. They were valued for feathers, eggs, bones, meat, and symbolic purposes. The turkey became interwoven into Native American worldviews, practices, subsistence, and art. This complex connection endures among Native peoples to the present day.
Importance in Native American Culture
Before their popularity in modern Thanksgiving feasts, turkeys have been an important part of the food and cultural systems of Native Americans for thousands of years. There is archaeological evidence of wild turkeys being domesticated by certain indigenous groups as far back as 2,000 years ago. Not all native communities domesticated the birds since they were so abundant, but tribes in the American southeast, southwest, central Mexico, and Guatemala were especially known for their domestication of turkeys.
Beyond serving as a source of food, the rest of the turkey’s feathers and bones were used for tools, regalia, and art. The reverence of turkeys varied widely from tribe to tribe and has a complex and beautiful history in native culture. The Wampanoag tribe in the east used turkey feathers for cloaks, while the Tuscarora and Catawba in the south used plumage for headdresses. In other tribes, turkeys played a role in traditional stories. The Caddo have a prestigious Turkey Dance related to tribal songs of war, honor and pride. Even through generations of genocide, forced removal from their lands, and substantial portions of culture that have been lost forever, turkeys still carry importance in the lives and ceremonies of many tribes today.
Introduction of Turkeys to Europeans
Turkeys made their debut in European and Asian cuisine in the 1500s through Spanish trade routes. Many suspect that they received their name because these birds came to Europe by way of the country of Turkey. They were so popular with Europeans that the colonists even brought domesticated turkeys with them as they sailed to North America. To the colonists’ surprise, the large birds were already fairly abundant here.
What Food was like for Native Americans on American Frontier
FAQ
Did Native Americans eat wild turkey?
Who first ate turkey?
Did the Cherokee eat turkey?
Did Native Americans eat at Thanksgiving?
Did Native Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving?
Turkey is one of the Thanksgiving dishes that can easily be traced to the first Thanksgiving. According to the fifth edition of Holiday Symbols and Customs, the pilgrims and Native Americans likely hunted and served wild fowl, like geese, duck, or turkey.
Did Native Americans domesticate turkeys?
This is the first time scientists have suggested that turkeys were potentially domesticated by early Native Americans in the southeastern United States. “In the Americas, we have just a few domesticated animals,” Peres said. “Researchers haven’t really talked about the possibility of Native Americans domesticating or raising turkeys.”
What did Native Americans eat before Thanksgiving?
Researchers knew that turkeys had been a part of Native American life long before the first Thanksgiving in 1621. Their feathers were used on arrows, in headdresses and clothing. The meat was used for food. Their bones were used for tools including scratchers used in ritual ceremonies.
Did Native Americans manage turkeys?
Peres and Ledford came across a few curiosities as they examined skeletons of turkeys from archaeological sites in Tennessee that led them to believe that Native Americans were actively managing these fowls. For one, the groupings researchers worked on had more male turkeys than a typical flock.