In the early ’90s, when AOL was the internet for people who did not understand code, I communicated with a woman in a chat room who lived in Southern California. At some point, I wished her a Happy Thanksgiving, and she answered, “I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. Why would I celebrate the genocide of my people?”
Although I never thought of Thanksgiving that way, I immediately understood and apologized. But I continued to celebrate the holiday with my family, giving little thought to learning about the facts and fiction of the first Thanksgiving story.
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday because it is all about thankfulness for family, friends, and all we hold dear. And while I knew and know that the First Thanksgiving story and images it conjures obscure the oppression and genocide of indigenous Americans, I compartmentalized that from my personal celebrations.
Over the years, I have written Thanksgiving messages acknowledging its full history and double meaning. I talked about its politics and social significance. But I never sought to embrace full acknowledgment in my Thanksgiving rituals. This year I changed that. Before our early Thanksgiving dinner, we acknowledged and thanked the indigenous peoples of Seattle. (Read our acknowledgment here.)
Recently, while researching for a talk about intersectionality and economic and social justice movements, I came across two tweets that motivated me to dig deeper into what I know about what we call the First Thanksgiving. Krystal Two Bulls tweeted about the Trump Administration proclaiming November National American History and Founders Month when it is already Native American History Month, and John Martin tweeting a short description of a “special day of thanksgiving” to celebrate the 1637 Pequot Massacres. These two tweets deeply disturbed me and sent me on a journey to learn the truth about Thanksgiving.
Let it suffice to say that the commonly told tale of Pilgrims and Indians coming together for a beautiful feast of turkey is not entirely accurate and has enormous gaps. Some of it is true, some speculation and many parts left out because the truth is not all pleasant. I will not tell the full story here. Follow this link to a short video and this link to a New York Times piece to learn more. I also ask you to take the time to research for yourself. However, I will provide some basic information to get you started.
The people we call Pilgrims were called themselves Separatists. They were a more radical version of the Puritans. That sounds scary!
The Separatist congregation that immigrated to Cape Cod and Plymouth originated in Scrooby in Nottinghamshire, England. It is true; the congregation left England due to persecution. It was illegal to organize a separate church from the Church of England. But they fled to the Dutch Netherlands. Where for many years, they practiced religion as they pleased.
What made them leave? Some of their children decided to take a different path and left the congregation. The Separatist grew afraid of losing their identity. So, they set out to the “New World” to set up a community free of outside influences. I guess there was too much religious freedom in the Netherlands.
The Separatist landed in Plymouth on December 16, 1620. No one stepped on a rock named Plymouth. It does not exist.
The Pilgrims settled in a location that was once inhabited by members of the Wampanoag Native people. The Wampanoag dominated the area and traded with Europeans a hundred years before the Pilgrims arrived. In 1616 a plague brought by European traders ripped through the population. The disease killed 50% to 90% of all native villages it touched. Others escaped the impact.
The plague significantly weakened the Wampanoag people. They began to feel expansion pressure from nearby tribes. The Pilgrims lucked upon Patuxet, a village once inhabited by Wampanoag, who all died in the plague. The Pilgrims built New Plymouth there.
The first Thanksgiving refers to a 1621 fall feast, exact date unknown. About fifty-three Pilgrims and 90 Wampanoag celebrated. It lasted for three days.
The Separatist would not have referred to the celebration as Thanksgiving. It was a harvest feast. Their Thanksgiving practices usually included fasting and giving thanks in prayer.
There was peace between the Separatists and the Native people, but eventually, Europeans outnumbered the indigenous inhabitants. The Pilgrims had a different view of how to use the land. And let us not forget, creating a new society untouched by outside influences was their primary motivation to settle the “New World.” The indigenous people either had to convert to Christianity or go.
There is much to deconstruct and review to fill out the truth and significance of the 1621 feast we call the first Thanksgiving. I know most of us do not want to think about the underbelly of Thanksgiving. That sounds disgusting. And it is. However, I want my holiday to be authentic and transparent. Let’s tell the truth. To heal and transform our society into one that is just; we must be honest.
