For most people in the United States, when they think of Thanksgiving, they think of family traditions, large family and friends gathering together, arduous travels by car, train, or plane – all to be with family and friends. We may think of turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, butternut squash, casseroles, and more! Don’t forget the festive drinks and desserts too! We may also think about parades or volunteering our time serving food at a local shelter.
When gathered around the table, we often romanticize the fabled story of English colonists dining with Wampanoag people, putting aside their differences, and sharing a meal in fellowship. For many families, we take a moment to share what we are thankful for while we gaze upon an ornate center piece and a colorful display of warm foods. However, this manufactured fable is certainly not ripe for the picking.
During the English Reformation of the late 16th and 17th centuries, the Church imposed strict uniformity of religious worship, and under King Henry VIII, the Church of England separated itself from the authority of the Pope and the Catholic church. Christianity in Europe during this time was under great religious and political turmoil. Feeling targeted and unable to worship their God in the ways they felt appropriate, many began to flee Europe. In 1620, English separatists headed for the ‘New World’ (it was in fact, only new to them) to pursue religious freedom.
In 1620, the Wampanoag tribe successfully negotiated a treaty with the Plymouth settlers so that no member of either group would harm the other. The idea was to spark peace and commerce between these communities. Yet, tensions remained very high. There was lots of bloodshed on both sides and Native people were unjustifiably cut off from their ancestral lands. In that time of peace and in an act of good faith, the Wampanoag supported a number of settlers in teaching them how to survive and to prepare food. The harvest feast of these labors is often what is celebrated as our present-day Thanksgiving celebration.
That peace did not last long. Conflict erupted, land and lives were lost, and Native people fought for their lands and people. Colonists intentionally used brutal tactics of violence and biological warfare. Using blankets and linen contaminated with smallpox as gifts, colonists were able to decimate entire Native communities with limited physical violence. Colonists enslaved Native people, destroyed native homes and fields, and drove any remaining Native people out of their lands. What ensued from about the mid-1500s to late 1800s was a major genocide of Native people across these lands. These genocides and massacres are almost entirely overlooked in our formal schooling systems and Thanksgiving Day celebrations.
Recently, we’ve seen strong advocacy for acknowledging the gruesome truth and reality of our shared history and the Thanksgiving Day tradition by replacing the term Thanksgiving Day with the National Day of Mourning. Established in 1970, the National Day of Mourning centers the suffering and conflict of the 17th century and highlights the contemporary parallels experienced by tribal nations today. It is a call for us to demystify colonized teachings, acknowledge our shared truths, and push back against Native erasure and racial inequity.
In fact, Linda Coombs, a member of the Wampanoag and the Program Director at the Aquinnah Cultural Center on Martha’s Vineyard shared with the Smithsonian that:
On Thanksgiving, Linda usually attends National Day of Mourning ceremonies held in Plymouth...Linda thinks the idea of Americans gathering with their families is important. She just wants them to realize that the holiday they are celebrating came at a price. ‘People coming together as families and having a meal—that’s wonderful,’ she says. ‘However, we would ask that people also remember how it is that they came to be able to do this. It’s because land was taken from us so they could live here. Everything was done to annihilate our culture and people. If they think that’s too dramatic, then they don’t understand the history.’
So, IDT encourages all families when gathering for Thanksgiving, to give honest thought and intention around discussing the real and brutal reality of Native people’s genocide and the purported nature of our celebrations. Take some time with your family and friends to critically examine and question our shared histories. Attend National Day of Mourning ceremonies, visit tribal museums, and more. It is through these conversations and behavioral changes that we will be a more informed and inclusive citizenry centered on our shared truths. Now that’s something to be thankful for!
