Should We Celebrate Thanksgiving?

Behind the blaze of fake pumpkins as decorations, annoying family members gathered in your living room, “justified” over consumerism (Black Friday Sales), the Macy’s Parade and the football game, Thanksgiving is boiled down to the holiday of gratefulness. I personally love Thanksgiving as I’ve fallen victim to the fake pumpkins and the good food, yet it’s undeniable that behind this holiday stands a narrative that seems to be erased. The original story was distorted to broadcast a peaceful exchange between the Europeans and Native Americans.

The question, “Should we celebrate Thanksgiving?” is not one I can answer myself. For starters, it’s not my place to do so and I also don’t think I know enough about the topic to tell you what to do. However, I do know that despite how much you read about the topic, at the end of the day it’s a personal decision we all make. Some people may find this prompt frustrating because they don’t want to give up the holiday they know and love, while others may find it frustrating that we are still celebrating Thanksgiving to this day.

Like many other things in life, the best way to go around the subject is by educating yourself. Read articles, essays and books about the narrative that has been silenced. Observe the artwork dedicated to it and look for the historical context. I, for one, am still stuck in this part of reading, observing and learning as I’m trying to listen to those who’ve remained unheard for too long. So far, I’ve picked up that they have not been quiet, we have just not been listening. The holiday goes far beyond just “giving thanks” as it represents the beginning of the marginalization of Native Americans. The tradition of giving thanks had been long established in Native Americans, but the purpose of the first Thanksgiving was not only to celebrate the harvests that the Native Americans helped the English grow, but to establish political agreements and form peace between both parties. Unfortunately, the accord was short lived as the English never stopped taking advantage of Native Americans, leading to a colonization with long lasting effects.

Once you move past the stage of data recollection and you feel strong enough about your knowledge on the topic, it’s up to you what choice you decide to make. One Native American, Chef Sean Sherman, shared his opinions on Thanksgiving in Time Magazine, “Many of my indigenous brothers and sisters refuse to celebrate Thanksgiving, protesting the whitewashing of the horrors our ancestors went through, and I don’t blame them. But I have not abandoned the holiday. I have just changed how I practice it.” One can support Native Americans by including their side of history into the one we’ve been taught. Furthermore, we can support Native American owned businesses and donate to causes that support this change.

I’d be lying if I said I don’t like celebrating Thanksgiving. In fact, Thanksgiving is one of the few days I really look forward to all year round, but I think it’s because I’m privileged enough to not have it be a personal problem. Unfortunately, I don’t have a definite opinion on the matter that I can share with you. A part of me feels like a terrible human being for celebrating a holiday that is loaded with a violent history but selfishly, I also don’t want to give up the Thanksgiving I like celebrating. For now, I’ve concluded that I’ll continue to get together with my family to share the yearly meal I look forward to so much, while honoring Native Americans and relearning and teaching the actual history of the holiday. As I said before, I can’t tell you how to go about this subject, but I can assure you that it’s imperative to listen to the other side of the story that is often excluded in our history classes.