The first Thanksgiving, 1621, Pilgrims and natives gather to share a meal, oil painting by Jean Louis Gerome Ferris, 1932
Leah Berenson
Leah Berenson
November 25, 2022 ·  3 min read

‘My Family No Longer Celebrates Thanksgiving—We Learn Indigenous History Instead’

In school most likely in history, we learned about a peaceful meal. The meal was shared by Indigenous people and pilgrims, in response to Indigenous people welcoming the pilgrims to new lands. The meal, referred to as Thanksgiving is meant to be a yearly reminder of the integration of cultures. However, we’ve since learned that American history hasn’t always been accurate and honest.

We’re learning more and more about the injustices endured by the Native people of our country. Danielle Marie Holland and her 10-year-old live in Seattle, Washington. They too have made it their mission to be aware of the injustices suffered by indigenous people.

Well-Intentioned Gatherings

Seattle is considered one of the more progressive cities on the west coast along with Portland and San Francisco. These cities have a reputation for inclusive beliefs that stem from the desire to make the world a better place and create an ethical understanding of the true history of topics, such as Thanksgiving. Danielle wrote on Parents.com that the Thanksgiving Holiday was a time for friends to get together. A time for community service and gratitude.

She said this has been the case for the last several years. In contrast, as she and her son have begun to learn more, they’ve changed their Thanksgiving Traditions. They’ve read more books, studied art and history, and thoroughly researched the unfair treatment of Indigenous Peoples. Friendsgiving and other community-building activities were acceptable, even desirable for their family dynamic. Danielle and her son have now decided to do away with the whole Thanksgiving meal altogether.

A City on a Mission

She explains that Seattle has taken great strides to rectify the harsh conditions that settlers put upon indigenous people. On the other hand, she does acknowledge that for corporations, schools, and other organizations it can be hard to implement these good intentions. In her Thanksgiving explanation for Parents.com, she provides a number of examples of how to support indigenous people during the Thanksgiving holiday. Making donations to or volunteering at Indigenous organizations is one of the easiest things you can do.

All over the country, we are seeing a rise in awareness and grassroots movements led by Indigenous peoples. Some organizations have even gone so far as to make promises of returning mass land. The Natives were displaced in government-appointed land and theirs was taken from them by settlers.

Gaining Awareness

Danielle and her son have taken many steps to bring awareness to themselves, their family, and the surrounding community. She provides a list of Indigenous authors that have written children’s stories and historical books. These authors have highlighted the struggles of their people. In turn, creating more awareness of the truth about the history of Thanksgiving.

She includes a map to highlight their original lands. This map provides a visual for people and children to fully grasp the disruption caused by pilgrims. Or just how much displacement took place in order to establish the United States.

Resources for Teaching a Sensitive Truth

Danielle explains that it wasn’t sitting well with her that her son was learning “Disney-fied images“. Danielle shares that he would come home with cartoon cutouts and a false sense of the true history of Thanksgiving. She struggled at first with how to present the true history of Thanksgiving to him. After all, how does a 10-year-old come to grasp the absolute intensity of the massacres thrust upon Indigenous people?

And more so, how does a parent teach their child the truth without traumatizing them for life? The truth is easier for most adults to handle. The reason being most adults have experienced or been exposed to some form of trauma. If you’re unsure of how to explain the truth of Thanksgiving to children, countless resources are available.

Thanksgiving is a time for expressing gratitude. It is an opportunity to share time with those we love. And it reminds us to give back to others who have been less fortunate than we have. In contrast, none of that means much if we don’t take the time to acknowledge the harsh realities of our true history and the real origins of Thanksgiving.

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