“Reconciliation without meaningful restitution merely reinscribes the status quo without holding anyone accountable for ongoing injustices. At its core, reconciliation has a religious connotation premised on restoring one’s relationship with God. In fact, most Indigenous nations don’t have words for reconciliation in their languages, which is the truest test of its lack of relevance to communities.” – Corntassel

How do Native Americans see Thanksgiving today?

“For many Wampanoag the First Thanksgiving at Plymouth symbolizes loss – of their land and their cherished way of life.” – Bial

“Whatever its history, Thanksgiving – for most Americans – emphasizes the significant ideas of sharing and harmony.  Yet, in view of the long record of broken promises, many native leaders would agree with Russell Peters, who, as president of the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribal Council, said, “For Indians, Thanksgiving is now a day of fasting and mourning.” – Bial

“In 1970, United American Indians of New England declared US Thanksgiving Day a National Day of Mourning.” – UAINE

 

We have to see and recognize the damage done.

“The face of New England in the 1670s was like a figure by Picasso, wracked by change and disruption.”  – RK

“Many native people’s rights depend on the United States accepting their group as an official tribe.” – Rosinsky

Even today the freedom and rights for Native Americans are under the power of the white politicians and citizens of the United States.  Even as we somewhat acknowledge sins of the past, we refuse to see the problems in the present.

“One of the challenges that we have in America is that America is a society based on conquest, not on survival.  It is a society, by and large, based on the concept that there is always a West, always a frontier.  There will always be someplace to go.  We don’t necessarily have to give thanks for where we are because we’re moving….I would suggest to you that that practice is not sustainable…there is no way that a society that causes so much extinction – an industrial society that caused the extinction of over two thousand nations of indigenous people – is sustainable…A society that causes so much extinction is not a society that is nourishing.” –LaDuke

For example, Virginia tribes continue to pay tribute to the governor, which they have done since the 1677 Treaty of Middle Plantation, which took most of their land away.  – WSH

Many Indian tribes are still not even federally recognized by the US government, including state recognized tribes in Virginia.

 “The fact is that if you have these natural resources, someone always wants them.  Society has not yet figured out how to say, ‘I’m going to restrain myself.’  That is not yet a part of this culture.  Instead one of the challenges we have is that society has this entitlement complex.  If we can buy it, we should have it, no matter what the price is…Why can’t they just leave it?  Just because the coal exists, do they have to mine it?  Just because the water flows, does that mean they have to dam it?  Just because the trees are there, does that mean they have to cut them?  At what point do we restrain ourselves in this society so that something is left because it has value on its own?” –LaDuke

What would it look like to mourn with those who mourn?  Can we recognize the power and whiteness that is at work in even seemingly small things like mascot names?  Making things right, or even beginning the process, first means recognizing what is wrong.

“Being Indigenous today means struggling to reclaim and regenerate one’s relational, place-based existence by challenging the ongoing, destructive forces of colonization.” – Corntassel

It means seeing how white culture is the default culture, looking at how the dominant power structure requires minorities to spend a lot of time and money proving their worth.  It means seeing that the problems that began with the settlers are still going on today.  There is still a dominant white society pretending as if the Native Americans are not here , are not still struggling, still not fighting against power structures.

But as Aiyana says:

“We’re still here now.  We’ve always been here, we’re here now, and we’ll continue to be here!  A lot of people think that we died, that there aren’t any Indians.  Well, we’re still here and we still do the things that we’ve done for hundreds, thousands of years.” -WSH

 

Land Boundaries Lesson

Give one person an entire room. Have them stand in the middle of it, and with scotch tape, mark off any doorways or entryways on the floor, so that visually they are enclosed in their space.

Then announce that you need some of the space. Tape off a section of the room, reducing their space. Do this 3 or 4 more times, until they are left standing in the corner, with only a small section of floor taped off for them.

Compare this to the settlers continually taking more and more land from the Native Americans, reducing their land to only a fraction of what they had.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Books/Resources

The Red King’s Rebellion: Racial Politics in New England 1675-1678 (RK)
The Winona LaDuke Reader: A Collection of Essential Writings (LaDuke)
We’re Still Here : Contemporary Virginia Indians Tell Their Stories (WSH)

The suppressed speech of Wamsutta (Frank B.) James, Wampanoag
To have been delivered at Plymouth, Massachusetts, 1970

Pequot

Nickommoh!: A Thanksgiving Celebration
Where the Great Hawk Flies

Wampanoag

Tapenum’s Day: A Wampanoag Indian Boy In Pilgrim Times
The Wampanoag: People of the First Light
Clambake: A Wampanoag Tradition
People of the Breaking Day
The Wampanoag (Bial)
The Wampanoag and Their History (Rosinsky)

 

Part 1 – The First Thanksgiving and the Myth of America
Part 2 – The Myth of America – Columbus, Christ-Bearer
Part 3 – The Myth of America – Jamestown – The Wrong Story To Tell
Part 4 – Pilgrims – God’s Provision at the Expense of Other People
Part 5 – Myth of America – Biased History Lesson
Part 6 – The Mayflower Compact – for God and King and White America
Part 7 – The First Thanksgiving – for a Massacre
Part 8 – The First Thanksgiving – Fears, Power, and Privilege
Part 9 – Colonialism – A History Lesson with Skittles
Part 10 – Myth of the First Thanksgiving – Other Festivals and Thanksgiving
Part 11 – Myth of America – The Clash of Spiritualities

 

Emphasis in quotes mine.

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This series is available as a 40 page pdf, giving an introductory look at settler colonialism as it relates to the founding of America.  Discusses Columbus, Jamestown, Pilgrims and Native Americans and includes 4 lessons to teach the topics to kids.
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