Before Massasoit returned to his people, he and the Pilgrims made a treaty of mutual aid and assistance which would last for forty years, and would become a model for many more treaties. Massasoit was quite possibly one of only two chiefs on the northeast coast of America who would have welcomed the Pilgrims. The record of their subsequent relations with him and his people is a strong testimony to the love of Christ that was beginning to spread God’s light in this new world.
Back to Squanto. When Massasoit left, Squanto stayed. He had found his reason for living again. He was appalled at the ignorance of these people about survival in this wild new country. But he could do something about that, and he went right to work. He taught the Pilgrims to walk barefoot on the shore and squeeze the eels out of the sand with their feet, catching them in their hands. The Pilgrims were amazed at how good and sweet they were. He showed them how to plant corn, fertilizing a few kernels with a fishhead. That summer, twenty full acres of corn were flourishing. He helped them build the weirs that would capture the spring run of alewives, turning their failed fishing trips into successes.
And on it went. Squanto taught them how to stalk deer, plant pumpkins, refine maple syrup, find the best wild berries, gather tasty and medicinal herbs. He got them started hunting beaver and trading their pelts, a lucrative trade at the time. This would prove to be their economic deliverance. Squanto was unlocking the riches of this new world to this little band of believers. God was pouring out His Grace and Blessing on them through this friend of the Pilgrims. This is the power of the Gospel to surmount cultural barriers and bring people together in love and community.
More to come…