Honoring Native Voices This Thanksgiving

Written by: Claire H. at the Pacifica Libraries

Thanksgiving is a profoundly important tradition that brings families together to share a meal and express gratitude. It also has a difficult legacy of erasure of Native history and voices. This Thanksgiving, consider embracing greater cultural awareness in your celebration. Here are a few things to keep in mind. 

Avoid Mythmaking 

The well-known Thanksgiving myth tells of Pilgrims and Indians who gather at a table in peace to celebrate the successful harvest and give thanks. On a very basic level, the National Museum of the American Indian points out that by celebrating, “generic, nameless Indians” rather than the Wampanoag and nearby nations, we diminish their role in the story. 

The actual Thanksgiving story is much more complicated and nuanced. The Wampanoag did help the Pilgrims (or immigrants) survive the first winter and teach them how to grow crops. There was a celebration where both groups came together to share food and celebrate peace. This peace, as the National Museum of the American Indian explains, signified something more akin to diplomacy than the friendship and brotherhood the myth suggests and unfortunately, did not last long. 

Amplify Native Voices 

Books like Keepunumuk and This Land is Their Land make sure that we center Native perspectives in the Thanksgiving story. Although, we don’t have to limit ourselves to telling this particular story during this time of year. There are countless Native stories that share of the unique and beautiful histories of Native communities all over the United States. We can immerse ourselves in stories about gratitude, food culture, foraging and many more all year long.  

While the Thanksgiving story took place on the other side of the country, now is a good time to honor and affirm the rights of the Ohlone and the other Indigenous Peoples who call the unceded territories of the San Francisco Bay Area their traditional homeland. 

Do you have more ideas and resources to share for honoring Native culture this time of year? Share your thoughts in the comments down below.