A controversial Thanksgiving tale

The discussion about what happened and why Thanksgiving holiday was needed is indeed controversial. The main reason for that is because it challenges deeply ingrained national narratives and evokes strong emotional and cultural attachments. Many Americans see Thanksgiving as a celebration of gratitude, cooperation and family, which complicates all efforts to introduce a critical historical context. This tension arises from competing understandings of history; one that prioritizes national unity and tradition versus one that seeks to confront the past’s injustices honestly.

The Controversial Nature of the Discussion

Cultural attachment is one of the biggest factors when it comes to starting a discussion about a darker side of the story. Thanksgiving is seen as an apolitical holiday by many, celebrated across diverse backgrounds. Attempts to re-frame it as rooted in colonial violence can feel unsettling or threatening to those who cherish its modern, family-centered meaning.

Political polarization happens all the time and many people are hesitant to start a discussion about such  a beloved holiday and bring about more political polarization. In recent decades, discussions about Thanksgiving’s historical context have become politicized, with some groups viewing critical reassessments as “revisionist history” and others seeing them as necessary truth-telling.

For Native American communities, Thanksgiving often represents a “National Day of Mourning” that highlights the historical and ongoing oppression of Indigenous peoples. This perspective directly counters the mainstream celebratory narrative, creating a stark divide in how the holiday is perceived.

Many Americans are resistant to confronting uncomfortable truths about colonization and its enduring impact, as it may challenge their understanding of national identity and heritage.

Historical Facts, Documents, and Books

Key Historical Facts to Remember

The 1621 Feast

The 1621 gathering between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag was not a Thanksgiving in the modern sense but a three-day harvest celebration. It likely involved negotiations for mutual aid between two groups facing significant challenges.

Abraham Lincoln’s Proclamation (1863)

Thanksgiving was declared a national holiday during the Civil War to promote unity. Lincoln’s proclamation makes no mention of Pilgrims or Native Americans.

King Philip’s War (1675–1678)

This devastating conflict between English settlers and Indigenous peoples, including the Wampanoag, resulted in massive loss of life and land for Native communities, casting a grim shadow over the earlier 1621 event.

The National Day of Mourning (1970)

Since 1970, Indigenous activists have observed Thanksgiving as a day to remember the genocide and systemic oppression of Native peoples, beginning with an event organized by the United American Indians of New England.

Primary Documents

Pilgrim Writings

Edward Winslow’s Letter (1621): Winslow’s account of the 1621 feast is one of the few primary sources about the event. It describes the feast but does not frame it as a “Thanksgiving.”

William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation: Bradford’s detailed account provides insight into the Pilgrims’ struggles and interactions with Indigenous peoples but also reflects the colonial mindset.

Historical Treaties

Treaties between the Wampanoag and Plymouth settlers reveal both cooperation and betrayal, offering a more nuanced picture of their relationship.

Proclamations of Thanksgiving

Colonial-era proclamations of Thanksgiving often celebrated military victories over Native Americans, highlighting the holiday’s darker associations.

Books and Resources

1. Critical Histories:
   • This Land Is Their Land: The Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled History of Thanksgiving by David J. Silverman.
     This book examines the deeper, often ignored, history of the Wampanoag people and the consequences of European settlement.
   • An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz.
     This groundbreaking book contextualizes Thanksgiving within the broader narrative of colonization and Indigenous resistance.
2. Native Perspectives:
   • Our History Is the Future by Nick Estes.
     A comprehensive exploration of Native resistance movements, offering insight into how Thanksgiving intersects with Indigenous struggles.
3. Children’s Books for Re-Education:
   • 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving by Catherine O’Neill Grace and Margaret M. Bruchac.
     This book, aimed at younger readers, challenges traditional Thanksgiving narratives with historical evidence.
4. Scholarly Articles:
   • Articles in journals like The American Indian Quarterly and The William and Mary Quarterly often explore nuanced aspects of Thanksgiving and colonial history.

Discussing the Controversy Thoughtfully

To approach the Thanksgiving discussion constructively one should acknowledge its complexity firsts, take time and cite historical evidence, amplify Indigenous voices and recognize modern practices and mindsets.

Thanksgiving has always had dual meanings, most of us just didn’t know about that. While it serves as a day of gratitude for many, it also represents colonial violence and loss for Native communities. We have to ground our discussions in primary sources and well-researched texts to counter misinformation or defensiveness. Above all, we should always share Native perspectives and engage with their lived experiences and historical accounts; this is what it means to take into account both sides. Thanksgiving today is often disconnected from its historical origins, but this doesn’t excuse ignoring the holiday’s problematic roots.

Ultimately, re-framing Thanksgiving involves balancing historical accountability with cultural adaptation, fostering both truth and reconciliation.

The myth is a tale ..

The myth of Thanksgiving as a harmonious gathering of Pilgrims and Native Americans obscures the complex and often brutal realities of colonial history. This narrative is deeply entrenched in American culture and has become a powerful symbol of unity, gratitude, and the nation’s founding ideals. However, its perpetuation involves deliberate omissions and distortions of historical truth that have denied generations of Americans a deeper understanding of the holiday and its consequences.

The Origins of the Thanksgiving myth

The traditional Thanksgiving story is rooted in the 1621 feast shared by Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony and the Wampanoag people. While this gathering did occur, it was not an annual event or the inaugural celebration of Thanksgiving. The feast was a moment of pragmatic alliance rather than idyllic camaraderie. The Wampanoag, led by Chief Massasoit, had suffered severe population losses due to diseases introduced by European settlers and saw a relationship with the Pilgrims as a survival strategy. The Pilgrims, struggling to endure their first year in a harsh environment, depended on Native agricultural knowledge and assistance.

This historical episode became mythologized in the 19th century, which was a time when the United States sought to unify national narratives amid the divisions of the Civil War. The portrayal of Pilgrims as God-fearing pioneers and Native Americans as gracious yet subordinate allies served to romanticize the colonial project and conceal the violent displacement and genocide of Indigenous peoples.

The tale of “pilgrims and Indians” became a story every American school child was taught, even in Native schools. Teaching  was implemented  in schools to clearly define “Americanism” to the new European immigrants pouring in the country.

Native Americans witnessed the disappearance of the bison, the loss of the sacred Black Hills, the many broken promises made by the U.S. government, along with atrocities like the Sand Creek Massacre and Wounded Knee Massacre. Thousands of Americans from all walks of life have fully disbanded the poisonous narrative about “Pilgrims and Indians.” The true story is hedged in historical facts, documents, photos and research books in the thousands. The eyes of  millions of people have been opened to the atrocities done by a colonial mindset that still lives in 2024. People now know that no matter where you are in The United States of America, you are standing on indigenous land.

Harmful Lies

The sanitized version of Thanksgiving omits key truths about the colonization process.

Violence and Displacement: The Wampanoag and other tribes experienced systematic land theft, betrayal, and violence at the hands of European settlers. Events like the Pequot War (1637) and King Philip’s War (1675-1678) decimated Native populations and solidified colonial dominance.

Cultural Erasure: The myth perpetuates a narrative of benevolent conquest, portraying Indigenous peoples as passive participants in their own subjugation. It ignores their resilience, resistance, and the rich diversity of their cultures.

Colonial Justifications: By framing the Pilgrims’ arrival as providential and divinely sanctioned, the myth reinforces the ideology of Manifest Destiny, which justified westward expansion and further dispossession of Native lands.

Historical Distortion: The idea of Thanksgiving as an annual national holiday is a relatively recent invention, declared by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 during the Civil War. Lincoln’s proclamation sought to unify the nation, but it was detached from the realities of the Pilgrim-Wampanoag interaction.

The Impact on Generations of Americans

The Thanksgiving myth has had lasting consequences on American historical consciousness. For decades, U.S. schoolchildren have been taught a sanitized, celebratory narrative of Thanksgiving. This approach reinforces national pride but deprives students of a critical understanding of colonialism and its legacy.

The myth silences and marginalizes Native perspectives, making it harder for Americans to grapple with the ongoing struggles of Indigenous communities, including issues of sovereignty, systemic inequality, and cultural preservation.

By focusing on an this tale of idealized origin story, Americans often fail to recognize how historical injustices shape contemporary social and political realities, which leads to national amnesia.

Toward a More Honest Understanding of Thanksgiving

Revisiting the Thanksgiving narrative requires embracing historical complexity and amplifying Indigenous voices. Efforts to re-frame the holiday should include educational reforms that will lead to critical reflection now and in the future generations. Schools should teach Thanksgiving in its historical context, highlighting the resilience of Indigenous peoples and the realities of colonization. Highlighting Indigenous histories and traditions can challenge dominant narratives and promote cultural understanding. Critical reflection  will bring about an opportunity for Americans to reflect on gratitude while also acknowledging and addressing historical and ongoing injustices.

The Thanksgiving myth exemplifies how national narratives that have been promoted for the last 200 years across institutions, organizations and media can be weaponized to obscure difficult truths. By critically examining this story, Americans can cultivate a more inclusive and accurate understanding of their history, fostering greater awareness and respect for the diverse peoples who shaped it.