Today is Thanksgiving. Hard to argue about a holiday geared towards gratitude. The month of November, has been decreed “Native American Month”. I am not a hallmark person. I prefer celebrating every day, month and year with: “I am alive. Thank you.”
But living in our culture and being inundated by White House turkey pardoning, pumpkin pie and the ridiculous story about Pilgrims and Indians, one is inclined to ask, “Is this what gratitude looks like?”
I have learned that some texts are teaching children that Native Americans gave their land to the new settlers, you know, as an act of kindness. Now that may be a comforting thought, but not even close to the truth as we are still breaking treaties and stealing resources from First Nations People.
What harm is there in telling the truth this Thanksgiving day? We are here due to the willingness of our ancestors to conquer other human beings; that settlers perpetrated on human beings the same barbarous acts that had been perpetrated upon them; and that we are still caught in the cycle of victim, oppressor, and savior.
Perhaps our prayers might actually be to find a way out of the violence and the dehumanizing culture that we find ourselves immersed in.
I really enjoyed the advice given by Mary Annette Pember in “Yes” magazine’s article, “This November, “Try Something New: Decolonize Your Mind”
Quoting her here: “Ojibwe know and value the power of visiting. Unencumbered by agenda points and outcomes, we trust that through prayer and community we can determine how to honor and care for the environment, each other, and ourselves. So during the month of the Freezing Over Moon, why not spend time visiting with others especially those whose ethnicity and social class differs from your own? Eat, drink coffee, let silence fall, and wait to find out what needs to be done. At first, it might be just about being human together; decolonization needs these roots to begin.”
How lovely to have the opportunity to begin again.
May gratitude hold us and may we, as one people, find our humanity again.
Enjoy the day and take some time to understand the relationship the U.S. has with Native people.
The photo is from 2017 Thanksgiving, and this is from 2016:
A New Tradition Emerges
I feel blest to be invited to Thanksgiving dinner hosted by the Standing Rock Sioux (with all others here at Oceti Sakowin Camp) . I never use the words “blest or blessed”, but in my heart it applies for this moment in time. We cannot undo the atrocities of the past, but we can allow for reconciliation and peace and we can cut a path for those atrocities to end.
We can all take a moment as we bow our heads over the food we will share with family and friends and ask for forgiveness for our silence. We can ask to be pardoned for our unwillingness to embody the values of our faiths – whatever they may be. We can acknowledge that we have ignored injustices and have allowed fear to take hold in our hearts. We can hold space for conversations that allow the truth to be told. We can be silent and listen as we learn how those who came from Europe transgressed and attempted – and in far too many cases were successful – genocide. We can begin to tell the truth on this and all of the racism that has damaged all of us in our country’s history.
We can call forth the strength to demand that our government and the media end the silence and the lies being told about everything that is related to DAPL. We can honor the valiant human beings – of every nation – who are standing with Standing Rock. And we can add our voices of prayer to theirs.
For those who do not pray, please hold the possibility of peace in your heart.
It is our collective doubt that allows ignorance to prevail. It will be our unified cries for peace that will break the strangle hold of fear that binds us.
On this auspicious holiday, at this auspicious time, let peace prevail.
Your voice is needed – internally spoken or out loud.
Please find your strength to show up.
Use this holiday in the spirit of all it can be. Best wishes to all.
“Thanksgiving” aired today, 11/ 23/ 17 on WDRT’s “Consider This” at 5:28 pm CST
let kindness win 