With Good Reason

Gathered around the Thanksgiving table, Americans tell stories about colonists and Native Americans coming together. But do Native Americans even celebrate Thanksgiving? And what would Native American heritage food look like? This November, With Good Reason takes a look at the indigenous side of a Thanksgiving table. Karenne Wood (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) talks about how Native Americans celebrate the holiday. Plus: Minnesota Chef Sean Sherman (the Sioux Chef) gives us a taste of pre-contact American Indian cuisine. And: We take a look at the complicated history of the most well-known reservation food, fry-bread.

TraditionalThanksgivingLater in the show: An oldie but goodie from our archives… With Good Reason invites you to a traditional Thanksgiving meal, but nearly everything on the table is grown, made, or brewed within 100 miles of our studios in Charlottesville, Virginia. The dinner host, Tim Beatley (University of Virginia), introduced the 100-mile Thanksgiving idea to his students after reading The 100-mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating. About 95 miles east, in Petersburg, Reza Rafie and Chris Mullins (Virginia State University) train farmers to use greenhouse-like structures called High Tunnels to grow high-profit margin berries and other exotic fruits and vegetables year-round. Sixty miles west, Maria Papadakis (James Madison University) visits an energy-efficient turkey farm in the Shenandoah Valley to showcase ways farmers can save money while doing their part to conserve natural resources.

Fears of an Ebola outbreak in the U.S. have mostly subsided, but in some parts of West Africa, the epidemic is growing faster than ever. Jim Hentz (Virginia Military Institute) studies the nature of war in Africa and says the spread of Ebola in countries like Sierra Leone and Liberia mirrors that of conflict in the region. Plus: Dr. William Petri is Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases & International Health at the University of Virginia. He’s studied diseases in the developing world and shares his expertise on the spread of Ebola. And: Public relations crises are nothing new. Lynn Zoch (Radford University), a national name in the field of PR, gives us a look at the history of the industry in the 20th century—from Rockefeller’s handling of the Ludlow Massacre in his Colorado mines to the 1929 campaign for women to smoke “Torches of Freedom.”

Later in the show: Feminists tend to be thought of as “anti-motherhood.” But psychologist (and mom) Miriam Liss (University of Mary Washington) says feminists are actually more likely than non-feminists to be intense mothers who practice parenting techniques like co-sleeping, breastfeeding, and carrying a child in a body sling. Also featured: To some, being funny at work might seem counterproductive. But John Morreall (College of William and Mary), past president of the International Society for Humor Studies, says many industries, including health care, have begun to appreciate the benefits of humor in the workplace.

Fears of an Ebola outbreak in the U.S. have mostly subsided, but in some parts of West Africa, the epidemic is growing faster than ever. Jim Hentz (Virginia Military Institute) studies the nature of war in Africa and says the spread of Ebola in countries like Sierra Leone and Liberia mirrors that of conflict in the region. Plus: Dr. William Petri is Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases & International Health at the University of Virginia. He’s studied diseases in the developing world and shares his expertise on the spread of Ebola. And: Public relations crises are nothing new. Lynn Zoch (Radford University), a national name in the field of PR, gives us a look at the history of the industry in the 20th century—from Rockefeller’s handling of the Ludlow Massacre in his Colorado mines to the 1929 campaign for women to smoke “Torches of Freedom.”

Later in the show: Feminists tend to be thought of as “anti-motherhood.” But psychologist (and mom) Miriam Liss (University of Mary Washington) says feminists are actually more likely than non-feminists to be intense mothers who practice parenting techniques like co-sleeping, breastfeeding, and carrying a child in a body sling. Also featured: To some, being funny at work might seem counterproductive. But John Morreall (College of William and Mary), past president of the International Society for Humor Studies, says many industries, including health care, have begun to appreciate the benefits of humor in the workplace.

Fears of an Ebola outbreak in the U.S. have mostly subsided, but in some parts of West Africa, the epidemic is growing faster than ever. Jim Hentz (Virginia Military Institute) studies the nature of war in Africa and says the spread of Ebola in countries like Sierra Leone and Liberia mirrors that of conflict in the region. Plus: Dr. William Petri is Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases & International Health at the University of Virginia. He’s studied diseases in the developing world and shares his expertise on the spread of Ebola. And: Public relations crises are nothing new. Lynn Zoch (Radford University), a national name in the field of PR, gives us a look at the history of the industry in the 20th century—from Rockefeller’s handling of the Ludlow Massacre in his Colorado mines to the 1929 campaign for women to smoke “Torches of Freedom.”

Later in the show: Feminists tend to be thought of as “anti-motherhood.” But psychologist (and mom) Miriam Liss (University of Mary Washington) says feminists are actually more likely than non-feminists to be intense mothers who practice parenting techniques like co-sleeping, breastfeeding, and carrying a child in a body sling. Also featured: To some, being funny at work might seem counterproductive. But John Morreall (College of William and Mary), past president of the International Society for Humor Studies, says many industries, including health care, have begun to appreciate the benefits of humor in the workplace.

Join us for a sampler of Norfolk State University’s 1619:The Making of America conference, including the myths and truths behind the lives of two native women—Pocahontas and Tituba—by Page Laws (Norfolk State University), a brief history of human slavery by Paul Finkelman (University of Pennsylvania), and three remarkable enslaved women in Canada who fought back by Maureen Elgersman Lee (Hampton University).

Later in the show: The story of Pocahontas has been told and retold for 400 years, from Captain John Smith’s early letters, to director Terrence Malick’s film, The New World. In a lively discussion, historians Helen Rountree (Old Dominion University) and Camilla Townsend (Colgate University) demystify the legend of Pocahontas and, in doing so, paint an engrossing picture of Indian life in the early 1600s.

Join us for a sampler of Norfolk State University’s 1619:The Making of America conference, including the myths and truths behind the lives of two native women—Pocahontas and Tituba—by Page Laws (Norfolk State University), a brief history of human slavery by Paul Finkelman (University of Pennsylvania), and three remarkable enslaved women in Canada who fought back by Maureen Elgersman Lee (Hampton University).

Later in the show: The story of Pocahontas has been told and retold for 400 years, from Captain John Smith’s early letters, to director Terrence Malick’s film, The New World. In a lively discussion, historians Helen Rountree (Old Dominion University) and Camilla Townsend (Colgate University) demystify the legend of Pocahontas and, in doing so, paint an engrossing picture of Indian life in the early 1600s.

Join us for a sampler of Norfolk State University’s 1619:The Making of America conference, including the myths and truths behind the lives of two native women—Pocahontas and Tituba—by Page Laws (Norfolk State University), a brief history of human slavery by Paul Finkelman (University of Pennsylvania), and three remarkable enslaved women in Canada who fought back by Maureen Elgersman Lee (Hampton University).

Later in the show: The story of Pocahontas has been told and retold for 400 years, from Captain John Smith’s early letters, to director Terrence Malick’s film, The New World. In a lively discussion, historians Helen Rountree (Old Dominion University) and Camilla Townsend (Colgate University) demystify the legend of Pocahontas and, in doing so, paint an engrossing picture of Indian life in the early 1600s.

In 1853, Eyre Crowe, a British artist, visited a slave auction in Richmond, Virginia. His painting of the scene was later exhibited at the Royal Gallery in London in 1861. In her new book Slaves Waiting for Sale: Abolitionist Art and the American Slave Trade, Maurie McInnis (University of Virginia) describes the impact this pivotal painting had on the British Public at the outbreak of the American Civil War. Greg Kimball (Library of Virginia) talks about a new exhibition of art dealing with the American slave trade. Also: Jonathan White (Christopher Newport University) says many Union soldiers were not for re-election of Abraham Lincoln in 1864, and were in fact pressured to vote for him.

Later in the show: 1619 was the year the first Africans arrived on the North American continent. There were at least 20 of them and they came as slaves from Angola. But what’s often overlooked is the culture they brought with them. Many were Christians with European names like Jean Pedro and Angela, and some came from cities. Scholars Linda Heywood and John Thornton recently discussed the lives of these first Africans at Norfolk State University’s 1619: The Making of America conference. Also featured: When we think of colonial American essayists, New Englanders like Cotton Mather and Ben Franklin come to mind. But recently discovered essays by an anonymous writer who called himself “The Humourist” are now being hailed as some of the best in America’s colonial period. Brent Kendrick (Lord Fairfax Community College) *thinks he’s discovered the real identity of their author.

In 1853, Eyre Crowe, a British artist, visited a slave auction in Richmond, Virginia. His painting of the scene was later exhibited at the Royal Gallery in London in 1861. In her new book Slaves Waiting for Sale: Abolitionist Art and the American Slave Trade, Maurie McInnis (University of Virginia) describes the impact this pivotal painting had on the British Public at the outbreak of the American Civil War. Greg Kimball (Library of Virginia) talks about a new exhibition of art dealing with the American slave trade. Also: Jonathan White (Christopher Newport University) says many Union soldiers were not for re-election of Abraham Lincoln in 1864, and were in fact pressured to vote for him.

Later in the show: 1619 was the year the first Africans arrived on the North American continent. There were at least 20 of them and they came as slaves from Angola. But what’s often overlooked is the culture they brought with them. Many were Christians with European names like Jean Pedro and Angela, and some came from cities. Scholars Linda Heywood and John Thornton recently discussed the lives of these first Africans at Norfolk State University’s 1619: The Making of America conference. Also featured: When we think of colonial American essayists, New Englanders like Cotton Mather and Ben Franklin come to mind. But recently discovered essays by an anonymous writer who called himself “The Humourist” are now being hailed as some of the best in America’s colonial period. Brent Kendrick (Lord Fairfax Community College) *thinks he’s discovered the real identity of their author.

In 1853, Eyre Crowe, a British artist, visited a slave auction in Richmond, Virginia. His painting of the scene was later exhibited at the Royal Gallery in London in 1861. In her new book Slaves Waiting for Sale: Abolitionist Art and the American Slave Trade, Maurie McInnis (University of Virginia) describes the impact this pivotal painting had on the British Public at the outbreak of the American Civil War. Greg Kimball (Library of Virginia) talks about a new exhibition of art dealing with the American slave trade. Also: Jonathan White (Christopher Newport University) says many Union soldiers were not for re-election of Abraham Lincoln in 1864, and were in fact pressured to vote for him.

Later in the show: 1619 was the year the first Africans arrived on the North American continent. There were at least 20 of them and they came as slaves from Angola. But what’s often overlooked is the culture they brought with them. Many were Christians with European names like Jean Pedro and Angela, and some came from cities. Scholars Linda Heywood and John Thornton recently discussed the lives of these first Africans at Norfolk State University’s 1619: The Making of America conference. Also featured: When we think of colonial American essayists, New Englanders like Cotton Mather and Ben Franklin come to mind. But recently discovered essays by an anonymous writer who called himself “The Humourist” are now being hailed as some of the best in America’s colonial period. Brent Kendrick (Lord Fairfax Community College) *thinks he’s discovered the real identity of their author.