This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCD chapter.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez from Unsplash
It’s almost Thanksgiving – a day in which many American families get together to enjoy each other’s company as well as delicious food. Growing up in the U.S., I remember learning about Native Americans, but primarily being “taught” about their connection to pilgrims. I use the verb “taught” due to the fact that I was learning about their relationship through a colonizer’s perspective instead of through the eyes of Native Americans. The lessons I learned throughout my early childhood gave only half the story of such an important aspect of history and failed to tell what actually happened throughout the history of America.
I vividly remember coming to school during kindergarten, as well as my other early years of elementary school, dressed as a pilgrim looking forward to cutting turkey from brown construction paper. Year after year, I remember learning about the pilgrims and Christopher Columbus settling into the “New World” and hearing about their great relationship with Squanto of the Patuxet tribe. I grew up with the idea that settlers and Native Americans enjoyed a meal together and gave thanks for the harvest. This false outlook on the meaning behind Thanksgiving came from the willingness of many to hide the cruel actions that were done to Native Americans.
Julian Hochgesang
Our original thoughts that come from thinking of Thanksgiving as a heart-warming holiday has now only brought us to a harsh reality of European colonization. In the present day, the main point of the holiday should be to educate others about the erosion of tribal cultures as well as the loss of valuable reservation land. In order to truly get the most out of this holiday, it is essential to understand the oppression the United States has put on indigenous people. As Americans, we often continue to celebrate when Natives are still fighting for the rights of their own land which has been seized throughout history.
As a country, it is an obligation for us to be more honest and aware of our dark past. Not recognizing the problems done in the past calls for an unjust present to Native Americans and indigenous people. Until America is able to truly display the rough past that comes from forced displacement, suffering, and eradication, Thanksgiving should more accurately be re-named to Thanks-taking.
Nancy is a fourth-year Communication and Political Science- Public Service Double Major at the University of California, Davis. She enjoys spending time with family, friends and her dog named Luna. Her experience of growing up in a Mexican household in Silicon Valley inspired her to be a curious leader and prompted her passion for technology, public service, and social impact. She strives to utilize her project management and communication skillsets to work with cross-functional teams and lead social change projects. She is currently seeking employment opportunities within technology.
