Today, Americans mark Thanksgiving Day by spending the day together with their families, sharing a tasty and hearty meal, and being grateful for all the bounties in their lives. This year, Americans will celebrate thanksgiving on November 24.
History of Thanksgiving Day:
Historians do not know the exact date of the very first Thanksgiving Day. What is for sure is that the celebration took place over a three-day period, right around mid-September and early November or fall, in 1621. The European settlers celebrated the successful harvest of maize they planted or flint corn.
Different Narratives:
Although the day is celebrated as a national holiday, the historical facts of the holiday have been debated for a long time. The narrative about the holiday differs based on the cultural group that a person belongs to. For example, if a person belongs to the Native American cultural heritage, their views about thanksgiving will differ vastly from what descendants of the European settlers hold true.
Native American Recounting:
The Native American narrative tells a completely different story about the first thanksgiving in the fall of 1621. Contrary to the European settlers, who had just had their first successful harvest in the new world, the Native Americans went about their lives.
The European settlers fired cannons and guns to celebrate such a momentous occasion, which understandably shocked the native population. The ancestors of the present-day Wampanoag Nation, who were the native people of the area, went to investigate the noise. Keep in mind that there wasn’t much trust and peace between the settlers and the natives at that time.
According to the Native American narrative, that famous painting associated with thanksgiving, where Native Americans sat down with settler families, is most probably a lie. This is supported by the fact that Native American staple foods differed vastly from the food that settlers had to offer.
What Thanksgiving Means to Native Americans:
The month of November has a lot of significance for Native Americans. The month itself is celebrated by Native Americans as Native American Heritage Month. Also, the day after Thanksgiving, which most the American people know as Black Friday, is celebrated by native people as Native American Heritage Day.
There are a couple of ways that Native Americans mark this day today. Some people even consider this day to be a day of mourning as that first contact eventually led to the all-out destruction of the culture, brought on by the displacement and colonization that followed the settlement phase, and continued for centuries.
Since 1970, at Cole’s Hill in Plymouth, the organization of United American Indians of New England has organized a gathering and rally to mark the day of mourning. The mourning day coincides with the United States Thanksgiving Day. The day is a reminder to the Native people of the taking away of lands, the harm to the Native culture, and the genocide of the people.
Thanksgiving is not a new concept for the Native people in the United States. Giving thanks has been a central tenet of the Native American culture since time immemorial. The culture has been celebrating and appreciating the good things in life, not just in the fall but multiple times throughout the year.
Conclusion:
Thanksgiving is a divisive national holiday when it comes to Native Americans. On Thanksgiving, we should remember the history and how it affected the Native American people in the long run. Through understanding and accepting what the day means to all people, we can move forward towards a better future.