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[This is copy and pasted from a bulletin since I was told to post it as a blog. The only thing I'll add here is this message in this box. I would also like the thank everyone for being so civil!]
As
a non-white person with lineage both in the native tribes and the
native Hispanic people of the west I thought I'd weigh my two cents in
on Thanksgiving. I'm not some gung-ho white person who is 1/10 Cherokee
or whatever, in fact I don't know the precise amount of native blood in
me. I could never imagine spending money on a DNA test lmao. But my
great grandfather who only passed away earlier this year had a strong
relationship with his native relatives and friends. I was very close
with him, so he and I would help the native family/friends run their
festivals and events. I was very involved with that culture a fair chunk
of my life.
Now with that context, what is
it with these white people and crying about Thanksgiving for the
natives? There seems to be some giant confusion and misinformation
passed around through the internet about the history of Thanksgiving. So
I'm going to give a quick history lesson and lay out why this is a
stupid mindset and what the more informed route would be.
A "Quick" History of Thanksgiving:
In the 1600s, before this whole "1st Thanksgiving" or what have you with the natives there were already holidays in the English churches and settlements that were a celebration of a good harvest as well as to recover from religious fasting. This tradition continued through to the settlement of the current day United States.
In 1621 the settlers of Plymouth Plantation (Massachusetts) in September the native Patuxet people had mostly died out from disease presumably brought by the settlers, all but one. This is the closest to a tragedy that the natives suffered surrounding this holiday. However, most of the settlers had also died from disease and the harsh climate. The last remaining Patuxet named Tisquantum or "Squanto" taught the settlers how to live off the land better. The Wampanoag people also spared food for the surviving settlers. A feast was held with mostly native people and the surviving settlers to celebrate the survival of their people as well as the prospect of more bountiful harvests to come. But this wasn't a holiday, it was a celebration of survival.
A
couple years late in 1623 a proper holiday like celebration was held by
the settlers, something more formal. Yet it once again wasn't a holiday
but a personal celebration of the survival of a drought. And this was
of course, in the middle of summer, once again far removed from today's
Thanksgiving.
So these types of celebrations of religious fasting and survival would come and go at more or less inconsistent times and really bared little to do with the native people apart from that singular event that was long after similar traditions were already in place. Fast forward to 1863, the Civil War is in full affect and a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale writes to president Lincoln. She proposed that there be a holiday to unify the people in the time of crisis. This had nothing to do with the people at Plymouth, it was a religious affair to her. To unify God's people or in her words for "Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and Union."
So these types of celebrations of religious fasting and survival would come and go at more or less inconsistent times and really bared little to do with the native people apart from that singular event that was long after similar traditions were already in place. Fast forward to 1863, the Civil War is in full affect and a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale writes to president Lincoln. She proposed that there be a holiday to unify the people in the time of crisis. This had nothing to do with the people at Plymouth, it was a religious affair to her. To unify God's people or in her words for "Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and Union."
And so it was then it was that the
last Thursday of each November would be "Thanksgiving" to unite the
people. So in all this, from a long running tradition, to a day of great
fortune, to a country in crisis this holiday really bares little to do
with the native people. Especially the holiday celebrated on the final
Thursday of November.
The native people have suffered many horrible plights under the various settlers and colonists from England, France, America, and so on. Their struggles weigh heavy on the country's history, and aren't to be downplayed. However, the rallying of people to hate on this holiday that has little to do with their struggles is absurd. The new Indigenous People's Day would be a more proper time to mourn or discuss such a thing. Trying to disrupt a holiday, that has in its conception since the Civil War been there to unite people is terrible. Today is not a day of mourning for us, it is a day to come together more so than any other. This is the least commercialized holiday in the U.S. of our biggest holidays, this is more pure than Christmas. No gifts or decorations, today you're expected to just enjoy the company of your loved ones, eat dinner, and nothing more.
The closest I can really come to defending this outlook is that
some Natives do see it as a day of mourning, but not because something
horrific happened on that day. Which once again, was in September not
November. But rather the success of that colony meant a flood of other
colonists followed in the years to come. So mourning this single
positive experience which ended up as a negative and the beginning of the end of many
native tribes makes sense, however, this is still removed from modern
Thanksgiving. The new colonists didn't arrive on "Thanksgiving" or in
November and the feast happened months prior.
some Natives do see it as a day of mourning, but not because something
horrific happened on that day. Which once again, was in September not
November. But rather the success of that colony meant a flood of other
colonists followed in the years to come. So mourning this single
positive experience which ended up as a negative and the beginning of the end of many
native tribes makes sense, however, this is still removed from modern
Thanksgiving. The new colonists didn't arrive on "Thanksgiving" or in
November and the feast happened months prior.
I think in attempting to capitalize on this one event and sort of
commercialize it has put the perception in people's heads that this is
the spirit of Thanksgiving. "It's all about the pilgrims and the natives
because they look good on decorations and posters!" But it really just
isn't if you want to be accurate. If you want to really have a more
accurate and informed day of mourning you should petition to remove this
imagery from Thanksgiving and move that day of mourning to Indigenous
People's Day. After all, Christopher Columbus was far worse for the
native people than that specific settlement was by a long shot.
commercialize it has put the perception in people's heads that this is
the spirit of Thanksgiving. "It's all about the pilgrims and the natives
because they look good on decorations and posters!" But it really just
isn't if you want to be accurate. If you want to really have a more
accurate and informed day of mourning you should petition to remove this
imagery from Thanksgiving and move that day of mourning to Indigenous
People's Day. After all, Christopher Columbus was far worse for the
native people than that specific settlement was by a long shot.
The native people have suffered many horrible plights under the various settlers and colonists from England, France, America, and so on. Their struggles weigh heavy on the country's history, and aren't to be downplayed. However, the rallying of people to hate on this holiday that has little to do with their struggles is absurd. The new Indigenous People's Day would be a more proper time to mourn or discuss such a thing. Trying to disrupt a holiday, that has in its conception since the Civil War been there to unite people is terrible. Today is not a day of mourning for us, it is a day to come together more so than any other. This is the least commercialized holiday in the U.S. of our biggest holidays, this is more pure than Christmas. No gifts or decorations, today you're expected to just enjoy the company of your loved ones, eat dinner, and nothing more.
The
descendants of those from the Wampanoag Tribe mourn not for some dark
past of the holiday, but for what was to come following the events at
Plymouth. If that is the day they choose to mourn then so be it, but
those who are doing it halfheartedly with none of the knowledge or true
passion come off as ignorant and arrogant. If you want to do the right
thing morally truly then truly celebrate Indigenous People's Day and
actually take time to learn the history of the things you claim to be
above.
Anyways
By
the way, I don't see those same white people complaining about all the
horrible things the various Christian churches have done and the
struggles of so many other native people that they killed and forced
their beliefs on during Christmas. Christmas is a mostly stolen holiday
anyways, some people I tell ya.
Also, I
checked random "news" websites like the illustrious and never wrong
"Insider" to see what the sensationalized hubbub was about. My favorite
bit I saw was when they said the history was "messed up" and the first
was a celebration of a native slaughter in 1967 yet they used a painting
that they credited right above it which was "The First Thanksgiving 1621" like geez, how clueless can you be?
I'll
wrap this up now. I hope everyone enjoys their holidays however they
choose to enjoy them, try not to stomp on other people's celebrations if
you can help yourself. Thanksgiving to me also signifies the beginning
of the full swing holiday season! Lot's of em coming up! Your
Christmases, New Years, Hanukah, My Birthday, and many more!
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