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Thanks? Giving? A history of Civil Rights
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Thanks and giving two words that put together the only "truly American" holiday in our country. Images that come to mind are family, food, football, and Black Friday. Without thinking about the brutal slaying of millions of Native Americans, we go about teaching our children that some lovely Pilgrims and Indians sat down to have a wonderful feast and so we do in remembrance. No one mentions the kicking of heads down the street like soccer balls, or the governor who announced he would pay for the scalps of the local tribes that were killed. The tradition of killing Natives went on for many years at least from 1617-1637. When the Pilgrims came to Plymouth Rock, they were poor and hungry -- half of them died within a few months from disease and hunger. When Squanto, a Wampanoag man, found them, they were in a pitiful state. He spoke English, having traveled to Europe, and took pity on them. Their English crops had failed. The native people fed them through the winter and taught them how to grow their food.
So, why when we know this story is not true do we chose to celebrate the killing of Native Americans and tell our children a story of half truth? Why doesn't anyone stand up as President of this country and state our tradition was started with the murder and brutality by the Puritans? "We would like to apologize to Natives for killing their people and sticking them on some of the most barren land we had to offer and stole their fertile land. We would like to sit down this Thanksgiving and have Native Americans join with us as we begin a new Thanks and Giving Day. We have paid reparations and provided Natives with college degrees and we will continue to seize the opportunity to embrace your culture and celebrations as we blend our Thanksgiving Day together. A day where we can take from both cultures and begin to mend the hearts of all who feel the current Thanksgiving is not a celebration.
One Native American, Jaqueline Keeler, has written a wonderful article about this subject at:
http://www.purewatergazette.net/nativeamericanthanksgiving.htm
What can you do today that will celebrate blending these two cultures together? Could you mention it as you say your prayers at dinner? Could you tell the true story to people who may not know? Could you make a statement of peace and love to all the souls who passed so that we may have our current celebration?
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