The schools and churches continue to teach that Thanksgiving is a time for America when God shined down on a bunch of starving newcomers to the continent of North America, sent "savages" to them who fed them, taught them to hunt, made medicine for them, taught them to use bows, snares and spears. The skills these Natives knew they shared.
In North America, the original inhabitants, called Indians, are Native Tribes, Indigenous to the land. Native Americans were terribly mistreated for their kindness. The fact that Columbus did not discover the Continent of India seems to continue to allude even the most educated historian. Why continue to call The First People of North America Indians? We all know this is not India. Right?
We were taught in early our history lessons, that the pilgrims were criminals, killers, thieves and other undesirables, who were given a chance to clear out the debtors prisons, and opt out of other punishments in England and Europe by agreeing to board ships to the New Land for their Queen. Their reward was that they would be forgiven their debts, and given a new chance at life.
Perhaps following the initial euphoria of having been saved by the "savages," who showed them charity, kindness, graciousness, and taught beautiful social ethics to them, these Europeans could not resist their criminal ways. Their greed would always win. They new settlers got to planning and conniving, thinking of ways to take everything they could. The Pilgrims lived with a sense that there was divine providence that allowed them to make it to North America, and survive. Their license for taking all that their eye could see is called Manifest Destiny.
If they were truly exhibiting Christian ethics according to the teachings of Christ, they would have looked on their new neighbors and desired to show Christian Charity. They would have given respect to the ways of the First Peoples, and returned kindness, been grateful and sought to be good stewards of the plenty that they found.
Instead of any charity or kindness, they new Euro-Americans shared filth and disease wiping out thousands of Native Indians in a short period of time. This was probably a warning to the Natives, but they were mostly gracious and continued to think the Europeans spoke in truth. Such as was the Indian Way.
What a shock, even today, hundreds of years later. If you have Native American friends, or cannot understand the anger and angst of today's Indians, look at the terrible actions of Euro-Americans toward the original People.
To this day, industries who use Tribal Lands for waste dumps, mine pilings, and radioactive repositories, still do not consider Native American Indians as people. At most, they are Prisoners of War, who still lack sovereignty in most arenas of the "American Experience".
So...when you say Happy Thanksgiving, think about those who cannot think of this holiday as Happy. For The People, Earth People, Indigenous Humans, it is a time of mourning, and sorrow. It is genocidal results of greed and a stack of lies.
Be thankful everyday, show kindness, wage peace, care, be involved, love your enemies, be grateful, and THINK. Please think.
