Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because I most closely associate it with family. It is a day to be thankful for family, friends, all that we hold dear and the blessing we have received. But the holiday also carries a different dark meaning for indigenous people of America who from the first contact with Europeans, faced oppression and genocide and today confront racism and erasure. Many Indigenous Americans commemorate the holiday as a National Day of Mourning.
I doubt that I will stop celebrating Thanksgiving as a day to spend with family and friends. However, as a peacemaker and justice seeker, I must face history.
It is wishful thinking to believe people will give up their traditions like Thanksgiving. But, to heal from injustice and transform our society into one that is inclusive and just for all of us, our traditions must be transparent. We must acknowledge the truth of our past and present both pleasant and ugly. I offer this small contribution as a step forward during Thanksgiving. We read this to begin our early in the week Thanksgiving dinner.
I wrote the first sentence using the guidance given by the Duwamish Tribe website to acknowledge the original people of the land where I live; Seattle. I slightly changed the wording to acknowledge all the Native Peoples in the region. You may want to look for advice from your local indigenous communities
I authored the rest.
Acknowledging History
I would like to acknowledge that we are on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the traditional lands of the Coastal Salish nations past and present and honor with gratitude the land itself and the Indigenous Peoples.
During Thanksgiving season, as we gather with family and friends to share and express our thankfulness for each other and all we hold dear, we must acknowledge the real history of the holiday and dispel myths taught to us.
I ask each of us in the next few days, to take a few minutes to honor those who came before us and those who were killed and oppressed to build the U.S. economy and culture, by learning the truth about Thanksgiving.
By taking the time to learn the truth, we strengthen and honor our traditions by not holding on to myths that diminish others.
