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When Pilgrims Arrive: Speak Wampanoag!

A meme combining a historical black-and-white illustration with added text. The top text reads, 'Listen, I don't have a problem with English people, but if you're gonna come here..' and the bottom text states, 'SPEAK WAMPANOAG!'. The central illustration depicts a Native American (likely Wampanoag) standing bare-chested with a feathered headdress, addressing a group of Pilgrims in colonial clothing near a thatched-roof house. The meme uses irony to comment on historical language expectations, reversing the common narrative of colonizers imposing their language on Indigenous peoples.
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Dialogue

Narrator
Listen, I don't have a problem with English people, but if you're gonna come here..
Narrator
SPEAK WAMPANOAG!

Text content

Listen, I don't have a problem with English people, but if you're gonna come here.. SPEAK WAMPANOAG!

Overview

A meme combining a historical black-and-white illustration with added text. The top text reads, 'Listen, I don't have a problem with English people, but if you're gonna come here..' and the bottom text states, 'SPEAK WAMPANOAG!'. The central illustration depicts a Native American (likely Wampanoag) standing bare-chested with a feathered headdress, addressing a group of Pilgrims in colonial clothing near a thatched-roof house. The meme uses irony to comment on historical language expectations, reversing the common narrative of colonizers imposing their language on Indigenous peoples.

Origin notes

The image appears to be a remix of a historical engraving (likely from the 19th or early 20th century) depicting early interactions between Wampanoag people and Pilgrims, edited with overlay text to create a satirical social commentary meme. Such memes typically circulate on platforms like Twitter/X, Reddit, or Instagram, created by users to highlight historical irony or cultural double standards. No visible watermarks or author credits are present.

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