What comes to mind when we think about Thanksgiving? Maybe we think of our traditions; my extended family always plays a football game together in the morning, followed by a family feast in the evening. We enjoy turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and delicious side dishes, as we all enjoy each other’s company. I know other families excitedly crowd around the TV as they watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade together. These are all great and happy things, but how often do we consider the history and background of the holiday?
Probably the most well-known origin story about the “first Thanksgiving” is with the Plymouth Pilgrims and Wampanoag Native American tribe. Though I’m sure we all understand different versions of what the relationship between these two groups was like, I think a common (and summarized) narrative taught in school is that the Pilgrims and Native Americans formed an alliance with each other, lived harmoniously, and came together for a feast in November of 1621 to celebrate and give thanks to the successful harvest. This feast followed a difficult year for the Pilgrims, who suffered widespread disease and a brutal winter that killed off half their people. It was thanks to the Native Americans that the Pilgrims were able to survive another year. This all sounds lovely and everything, but how much truth is there to this narrative?
Whether it was the Pilgrims who invited the Native Americans to feast or the Native Americans who invited the Pilgrims, the relationship between the two groups surrounding this event is often one characterized by peace and harmony. As (I hope) we’re all aware of though, in colonial American times, the relationship between colonists and the Natives was far from harmonious. Native Americans were forcibly and brutally uprooted from their homes and condensed into designated “Indian areas.” During their travels, many died from starvation, disease, weather, and many were also kidnapped or killed by European colonists. So, I hope we’re all past the image of the Native Americans as savage, uncivilized, and dangerous people, because that’s all a major misrepresentation and perpetuates this Eurocentric American narrative emphasizing white progression, peace, development, and freedom. Did we accomplish those goals throughout our history? Maybe, but at the devastating expense of others. It’s important to recognize the ideals our nation was founded on.
I reemphasize the history of this relationship to be mindful of what Thanksgiving means to everyone. For many Americans, it brings warm feelings and joy. But for others, it’s a reminder of the suffering their relatives endured and a telltale misrepresentation of their people’s history. I mean, the fact that history classes only recognize the existence of Native Americans with European colonists completely dismisses them as people. And even more, we grew up reading books and learning history that stereotyped and depicted the Native Americans as violent and ruthless, which is a devastatingly false perception. So… back to the story of the “first Thanksgiving.” Yes, there was indeed a feast. But it wasn’t quite the harmonious and beautiful moment our childhood storybooks described it as.
First off, the alliance between the Plymouth Pilgrims and Wampanoag tribe wasn’t stemmed from the kindness of their hearts and a desire to be BFFs. The alliance formed because the Wampanoag tribe was seeking protection from rivaling tribes; they saw the colonists as an opportunity for defense. In return, they offered the Pilgrims many skills that helped them to survive. So, there wasn’t necessarily animosity within this alliance when it first formed, but evidently, this relationship eventually deteriorated as more colonists kept coming to buy out the land. Let’s just say there was no graceful “handing off” of the land to the colonists; the Native Americans felt threatened by the colonists’ invasions and retaliated. This led to a series of catastrophic conflicts for both parties, such as King Philip’s War. Disease, raids, abductions, and slaughters characterized this period. And, as we’re all aware, it led to the decimation of the Native American people. If they survived, they were relocated. Whereas, the colonists kept inhabiting new territories and bringing over new and curious “settlers.”
Perhaps history classes created this jolly narrative surrounding Thanksgiving because we have a hard time swallowing the devastation the roots of our nation brought to others. And in part, the story is true; there was peace between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags, but this small moment of peace does not accurately reflect history in its entirety. The bloodless relationship between the Wampanoag tribe and Plymouth Pilgrims was not long-lasting, but the emphasis of it shines a light on the belief that colonial America wasn’t as friendly as some might believe it is. I’m not here to tell you the definite facts; I wasn’t there. I’m also not a historian, nor do I plan to be in the future. I just want to emphasize the point that we can’t blindly follow everything we’re taught in school. History is tricky to tell objectively since there are so many different narratives and stories out there about each event. Try not to rely on one narrative; instead, be intentional in enriching yourself with the many stories from our past to gain a more full understanding.
As a closing thought, I don’t mean for this article to undermine or diminish the celebration of the holiday in any way. I love Thanksgiving as it is now, but I also know that we often get taught certain narratives in school that either tell false stories or fail to tell the entire story. I guess this is just a reminder to be intentional and mindful in everything we do.