Thanksgiving is a time where all those who celebrate gather with their family and friends. They reflect on what they are thankful for in their lives and eat good food. But do you know about the true history behind Thanksgiving? Or the unfabricated treatment of the people who lived on this land before we did?
According to our elementary school history class, Thanksgiving began when the pilgrims and the Native Americans set aside their differences, became friends and had a big dinner together. We were so thankful for their help that we made the dinner annual to commemorate the unification. That is just simply not the truth. This version of the history of Thanksgiving is used to make our continued celebration of it acceptable, while ignoring the truth of how the Native Americans were actually treated. The first official mention of a “Thanksgiving” celebration was in 1637, after the pilgrims brutally slaughtered an entire Pequot village, then afterwards celebrated their victory with a feast (Gosling). Thanksgiving was not made an official holiday until 1863 by President Lincoln as a way to show his thanks for the Union victory at the battle of Gettysburg. There is a great video on the popular social media app TikTok, by Lance Tsosie, username modern_warrior, where he explains the history as well. All this time America has turned a blind eye to the treatment of the Indigenous community by still celebrating a holiday that they believe is to be based on friendship. After generations of lies surrounding the holiday, it is time that we put an end to this ignorance and redefine the meaning we give to the word “Thanksgiving.”
Here, I have come up with a few ways that you can celebrate Thanksgiving without dishonoring the Indigenous community:
- SUPPORT INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
You can support Native Americans by donating to organizations that directly aid them. For example, The Native American Heritage association was started in 1993 as a non-profit organization dedicated to providing food and support to Native American communities. Another organization dedicated to promoting the well-being of Indigenous peoples is The Daily Eagle Hope Project.
- SHARE POSITIVE REPRESENTATIONS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
Social media has a grip on us all. Around this time, we are sharing photos and videos of ourselves with our families, festive coffees, fall scenery and the food we’re cooking on Thanksgiving. You can promote a positive view of the Indigenous community by sharing posts on Instagram pages such as Project 562, which is a project run by Matika Wilbur who photographs over 562 Indigenous nations, or Native Works, which promotes small businesses run by Indigenous peoples who make art, jewelry, t-shirts and more.
- ACKNOWLEDGE THE NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING
The day we know as Thanksgiving, the fourth thursday of November, is also the International Day of Mourning. A day that the Indigenous community uses to mourn all the lives lost due to the slaughtering and oppression of their people. You can honor this tradition by taking time out of the day to think about what has happened to the community. Urge your friends and family to get involved and give thanks to Indigenous peoples in any way that they can. You can use your social media platforms to spread awareness of this day and to dispel the myth surrounding Thanksgiving.
- INCORPORATE NATIVE DISHES MADE BY INDIGENOUS CHEFS
There are many great dishes popular within the Indigenous community that we could all incorporate into our dinners this Thanksgiving. One member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe, Chef Sean Sherman, wrote a cookbook titled The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen. His recipes like wild rice cakes, maple-brined smoked turkey, amaranth corn pudding and hazelnut maple sorbet can be found here in this article by the Huffington Post, which also highlights Sherman’s feelings on how we celebrate Thanksgiving. You can also donate to the Indigenous Food Lab, whose goal is to support Indigenous restaurants in North America.
While you gather with your family and friends,eat yummy food and celebrate your thankfulness this Thanksgiving, give respect to the Indigenous community and remember all that they have suffered. Spread the message to your friends and on social media, and give back in whatever way you can.