Truth, History and Thanksgiving
By Yvonne Day
As November approached in my twins' first year in preschool, I began thinking about the Thanksgiving holiday and what I had learned in school. I remember a photo of me in Kindergarten wearing either a feather headdress or a buckled hat I made myself out of construction paper. I wish I could remember the script of that Thanksgiving "pageant." It probably was similar to the version many children in this country learn: "The Pilgrims came over on the Mayflower in 1620. They met a nice Indian named Squanto who taught them how to grow food. The next year after the harvest, the Pilgrims invited the Indians to share their feast—the first Thanksgiving. They celebrated their new friendship."
Even after I learned that the relationship between the pilgrims and Native Americans was not as amicable as my textbooks depicted, I still believed that some of what I learned about Thanksgiving was true. I only learned as an adult that this Thanksgiving tale is inaccurate, right down to the buckles on the pilgrim shoes.
Why do most people feel comfortable with the inaccurate description of what took place on the very first Thanksgiving? Why do we teach our children this mythology? In addition to simply not knowing any
better, I believe that shame about our country's racist history fuels the ignorance. As a person of European descent, I know Thanksgiving fiction is just one of many histories I was not taught regarding
racial domination in America. Believing in pilgrims that were generous and appreciative is more comfortable than the truth. But even when we know the truth of our history's past and how covering it up serves to uphold a racist society, what is the best way to explain it to our children?
One step toward providing the next generation with a better understanding of our country's formation is to include Native American perspectives and experiences in lessons about Thanksgiving. I plan to teach my kids that while Thanksgiving is a celebration for some, it is at the same time a day of sadness and mourning for Native Americans. The first Thanksgiving is also symbolic of the beginning of the genocide of more than 100 million Native Americans. The real shame is not acknowledging this loss of Native American life, land, and culture.
The search for age-appropriate ways to discuss the complexities of genocide, Native American identity and culture, and the frequent misrepresentation of American history with my children led me to the resources below.
Resources
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