Thanksgiving and National Day of Mourning

Most of us grew up learning about Thanksgiving as the celebration of a 1621 feast shared between English colonists ("pilgrims") and the Wampanoag people. This narrative is typically portrayed as a harmonious relationship and sanitized of its history of violence. Today, we recognize these stories as over-simplified and inaccurately framed from a colonist point of view so for many Native Americans, Thanksgiving is considered the Day of Mourning.

Watch the video below to learn about its origins and perspective from Moonanum James of the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe of Gay Head. He is co-leader of the United American Indians of New England and an organizer of the National Day of Mourning.

This knowledge can bring up complex feelings about celebrating Thanksgiving for many of us. Here are some things you can do to approach this holiday with more awareness and sensitivity for the experiences of Indigenous people.

• Educate yourself and recognize Thanksgiving as a Day of Mourning for many Indigenous people.

• Give a land acknowledgment at your gathering and consider donating to landback projects like Real Rent Duwamish.

• Respect and believe the stories of Indigenous people. Seek out articles written by them and try to see their point of view.

• Create awareness around the language we use to describe the history of Thanksgiving (e.g. use 'colonizers' instead of 'settlers').

• Create new Thanksgiving traditions by integrating new foods or changing the way you celebrate.

• Give thanks for these opportunities to learn and grow! They may not feel comfortable but as one of our Foundational Beliefs states, "experiencing discomfort is important to learning."

We've shared this, along with some links to articles and resources to help you navigate Thanksgiving in a previous newsletter issue, which you can find in our archives.