Thanksgiving is nationally recognized every year on the fourth Thursday of November. This year it falls on Nov. 28. Thanksgiving was proclaimed as a national holiday in 1836 when President Abraham Lincoln said it should be celebrated every November. The National Day Of Mourning also takes place on the fourth Thursday of every November. The National Day of Mourning is a day of remembrance, spiritual connection and protesting against oppression and racism Native Americans still face.
Lately, controversies heavily surround Thanksgiving because it serves as a reminder of the previous genocides, stolen land and forcible relocation of Native Americans at the birth of the United States of America. Many believe that honoring native ancestors is something that should be valued and held in traditions. Junior Muntha Dahir said, “America is built on native soil. They should always be recognized.”
In 1990, President George. W. Bush and Congress signed a joint law declaring that November would officially be National American Indian Heritage Month. A few ways to commemorate are participating in cultural events, researching their history, trying native cuisines, reading Native American Literature, supporting their artists and supporting their work.
Marco Margaritoff’s article The Devastating History Of Diseases That The Pilgrims Brought To America covers how several diseases such as chicken pox, influenza, measles and the bubonic plague took the population of Indigenous people in that province from 30,000 to 300 in a mere decade. With Christopher Columbus’s arrival, the death rate continued to rise.
The term “Thanks-taking” has surfaced around the internet over the past few decades basically attempting to push out the dark past behind Thanksgiving. Senior Harper Blando said, “I think it would be nice to include Indigenous people in the holiday.” Blando also expressed how she thought it would be difficult for people to give up their traditions to welcome new ones.
Senior Natalie Lara said, “I personally don’t think it should be celebrated considering its dark history.”
When the Mayflower, full of colonists, arrived at Plymouth, Mass., it carried several Pilgrims with it. Edward Winslow, a leader of the Separatists group, was one of these members on the Mayflower. Winslow organized a meeting with Wampanoag Chief Massasoit, attempting to create a peace treaty. The first celebration of Thanksgiving was built on a sole agreement that the Pilgrims needed help surviving and needed help getting rid of rival tribes.
Thanksgiving continues to remain cherished because it brought two very different cultures together. Today, families look forward to spending time together, making food and bonding over the weekend break. While it is a beloved holiday that is held dear in many Americans’ hearts because it brings people together and celebrates gratitude, the history that trails behind Thanksgiving should not be forgotten.
