In light of the first snow of the season in Asheville, it got me thinking about how Thanksgiving is approaching fast. That led me into a spiral: why do we celebrate Thanksgiving when we committed atrocities toward the Native Americans, whom we thank for this holiday?
That is like celebrating a white man on Juneteenth; it’s silencing the people of color whose achievements are no less important than the white man’s.
Don’t get me wrong, I indulge in the Thanksgiving festivities: the turkey, the big family meal and football in the background. The history has always irked me, though.
Thanksgiving began in 1621 between the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag people, although it was not recognized as a holiday until Abraham Lincoln’s presidency in 1863. While we tend to celebrate it as a time of thanks for our family, friends and food, the holiday has much worse connotations for the Natives whom the government continually disrespects.
It is great that we celebrate Native American Heritage Month during November, but I feel it is often overlooked by Thanksgiving, even though the next day is Native American Heritage Day. Hell, I didn’t even know it was Native American Heritage Month until I got older.
Why do schools not emphasize the actual history behind Thanksgiving? Why do we only focus on the good side of history when the bad is just as important?
Should we stop celebrating Thanksgiving entirely? No, I think it is a great holiday; it is incredibly important to give thanks to those around us. Family and friends are important, and time together is even more important.
Could it be improved? Yes.
Would it be good to emphasize the history behind the holiday and thank the people who contributed to the survival of the Plymouth colony? Yes. Should we acknowledge all the native tribes more after everything our government and ancestors have put them through?
Ways we could improve Thanksgiving in the historical context:
- Acknowledge and focus on Indigenous history.
- Challenge the stories and myths we were told growing up.
- Land acknowledgements.
A combination of these efforts would ensure that we still spend time with the people we love and give our thanks while acknowledging the truth behind the holiday. Schools could incorporate the Indigenous history around that time of year, as schools tend to do holiday-related activities.
Should the children be taught the darker side of history at a young age? Not necessarily. We learn about the atrocities we committed starting in elementary school in our history classes at an age-appropriate level. Trail of Tears, forced assimilation and violence of the colonial era.
As students get older, a larger focus on their recent history could be helpful. The fight for their civil rights and the granting of citizenship, writing systems and their impact today, the deaths of Indigenous children at residential schools across Canada and the U.S.
We cannot forget all that we took from the natives and give thanks to those who came before us and their land.
That’s what Thanksgiving is all about, right? Love, gratitude, togetherness and remembrance. We often forget about remembrance; let’s not forget our history.
