Denial surrounds the history of what we call Thanksgiving. Many people in today’s world embrace the idea of peaceful immigrants looking to work with the indigenous populations of their New World. This mythology ignores the barbaric genocide and exploitation of the indigenous people and instead embraces a systemic denial akin to that of the Holocaust. That’s right.
The day in which we gather with our family members to feast is a day that we ignore what happened. There should be no thanks given for what was done to the Native Americans. This transition to the New World was about conquest and the selfish tendencies of man rather than a true idea of peace.
What was originally told as a tale of camaraderie and growth is truly one of war and devastation. Their land was stolen, their family members killed and the way of the colonists imposed upon them.
Robert Jensen, author of “No Thanks to Thanksgiving”, states in his essay that Thanksgiving was not a celebration of peace and cooperation but rather a celebration of a massacre.
“…it’s also true that by 1637 Massachusetts Gov. John Winthrop was proclaiming a thanksgiving for the successful massacre of hundreds of Pequot Indian men, women and children, part of the long and bloody process of opening up additional land to the English invaders,” said Jensen.
Our culture celebrates a day in which our colonial ancestors celebrated genocide. This is an occasion of white supremacy that devalues human life of any kind due to convenience and hunger for conquest. It is, as always, about being superior when that is far from true.
A sickening thought continues in the contemplation of Thomas Jefferson’s thoughts on the Native Americans. He describes them as “merciless Indian savages” and continues on to say “We shall destroy all of them.”
What is worse is that the ideals do not change in our society. Theodore Roosevelt, a 20th century president, advocates for this travelling genocide by indicating that the colonists were following instinct.
“…due solely to the power of the mighty civilized races which have not lost the fighting instinct, and which by their expansion are gradually bringing peace into the red wastes where the barbarian peoples of the world hold sway,” said Roosevelt.
Roosevelt was also quoted later saying that he would not “go so far as to think that the only good Indians are dead Indians, but I believe nine out of ten are, and I shouldn’t like to inquire too closely into the case of the tenth.”
If our nation’s leaders have thought like this, what is to stop our culture from perpetuating these ideals? We look to our leaders for examples but the example that they have set is not enough to set our characters by.
This history is ignored when it comes to celebrating this “holiday.” People insist that those contemplating the plight of the Native Americans are merely living in the past instead of embracing the present.
If the present ignores the past, the past will rise again to rear its unpleasant head. It will force those that have conveniently forgotten about the suffering of the Native Americans to remember.
Our history is history for a reason. This is not a time to celebrate.
It is a time to mourn the loss of life, to look back on the barbaric conquest of our world and understand that we were wrong.
It is also time for the history books to get the story right. There was no three day thanksgiving feast.
There were no celebrations of two peoples coming together to celebrate the harvest. It is all a convenient tale to tell children in school so that they do not know the truth.
The lies have become a blanket, a vehicle for selective amnesia so that we feel no guilt in what we have done.
The myth that is Thanksgiving has been busted for many years now. It is just up to us to remember why and to correct for the future.
We must correct the teachings of “Thanksgiving” for our children if we have any hope of change. We cannot teach future generations that it is ok to engage in genocide. There will never be a good enough reason to treat fellow humans as the Native Americans were treated.
We are all human. We all have value.
So this year, instead of re-telling the falsity that is the pilgrim story, reflect on what you have in front of you and remember the price at which it came.
