Landscape of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska reservation, White Cloud, Kansas, overlooking what was once their traditional lands. Credit: Photo courtesy Annette Liberty

Thanksgiving, traditionally a time of feasting and gratitude in America, holds a different significance for Native Americans. It’s a history fraught with conflict and the complex interplay between Indigenous peoples and European settlers. Thanksgiving’s origin story is often simplified in mainstream narratives, with schools dressing children in pilgrim and “Indian” attire to tell the “story” of a harvest celebration of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe in 1621. 

For many Native Americans, the holiday serves as an educational opportunity aimed at correcting the myths of Thanksgiving’s origins and the first interactions between Pilgrims and Indigenous peoples. 

Paula Peters, historian and citizen of the Mashapee Wampanoag Tribe, explains: “What the story ignores is the backstory of Squanto, and that casual consumers of history are just comfortable with the idea that the English walked into that village and met with Squanto speaking perfect English. People don’t ask, ‘Well, how did that happen?’”

In 1614, Squanto was one of 27 men taken from the Patuxent and Nauset villages, now Plymouth, Massachusetts, and sold into slavery in England. After five years in London, he returned home to find his village, among others, decimated by a plague. Without a community, he was used as an interpreter and servant, and lived with the Massasoit Ousamequin people. The story of him welcoming the English to his home in 1620 is not the one told in the mainstream narrative. As the English settled in Patuxent, renaming it Plymouth, they were happy that the lands were already cleared and that their only obstacle was to remove the remains of Squanto’s people, who had perished from disease.

This aspect of Squanto’s life is often omitted from the traditional narrative. “And this is how we got from point A to point B,” Peters said. It’s important to understand the intricate backstory of colonization leading up to this day.

Paula Peters, historian and citizen of the Mashapee Wampanoag, overlooks Popponesset Bay, also known as Shoestring Bay, next to her home in Mashapee, MA. Credit: Courtesy Matika Wilbur

“The Wampanoag were not initially invited to the first Thanksgiving. Their presence was a response to the Plymouth colonists’ celebratory musket firing of the year’s harvest, which was misconstrued as a threat,”  Peters explains. This misunderstanding led to a tense scenario where the Wampanoag arrived armed with their bows and arrows, prepared for conflict.

To smooth it all over there was some quick thinking by — we have to assume — Plymouth Colony Governor William Bradford and his men to invite the Wampanoag to eat. “Little did they know that this 100 or so Wampanoags are going to stay for three days,”  Peters said. They went hunting for deer and fowl, but it’s not clear if that fowl was actually turkey.

The aftermath, which includes colonization, dispossession and violence against Native peoples, is also overlooked. This darker legacy profoundly impacts how many Native Americans perceive Thanksgiving. “It means betrayal and genocide to many,” says Christie Modlin of the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma.

Initiated in 1970, the Day of Mourning is a commemoration for many, highlighting the historical and ongoing injustices faced by Indigenous peoples. Annual gatherings in Plymouth mark this day with solemn remembrances and activism, emphasizing the enduring struggles and resilience of Native communities. 

For other Native Americans, Thanksgiving is a celebration of cultural survival and strength. Despite historical adversities, it is a time to honor the continuity and vitality of Indigenous cultures through traditional practices such as dances, storytelling and sharing native foods. These observances affirm the rich and enduring legacy of Native American heritage. Indigenous tribes had harvest celebrations well before the European arrival, and for these communities, Thanksgiving is a moment to express gratitude for nature’s gifts and to honor longstanding connections to the land.

The relationship with Thanksgiving is as diverse as Tribal histories, reflecting individual experiences, cultural backgrounds and personal sentiments. Some engage with mainstream celebrations while others ignore the holiday, demonstrating the wide array of perspectives within Native communities. Thanksgiving brings attention to current issues such as land rights and sovereignty. It is a time for advocacy, to spotlight the critical concerns and to drive towards change.

Today, let us all take the time to spend this day with family and be thankful for what blessings we have in our lives. May we remember the deep roots from which we all come, the traditions that have survived and the enduring strength of all of our people. 

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Brandi Liberty is an enrolled member of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas & Nebraska and a descendant of the United Houma Nation in Southern Louisiana. She is the owner of The Luak Group and its subsidiary...