Our Bloggers Recommend: “The History of Thanksgiving from the Native American Perspective”

November is Native American Heritage Month. As Thanksgiving approaches, I’ve been wondering how Native Americans feel about this holiday, so I was grateful to read the article, “The History of Thanksgiving from the Native American Perspective,” from Native Hope. The author writes that Native Americans have a variety of approaches and feelings toward the holiday, from commemorating the fourth Thursday of November as the National Day of Mourning for Native Americans, to embracing the positive messages of the holiday and using it as a time to gather, give thanks, and celebrate the harvest.

As the author writes, Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Day (the day after Thanksgiving) “allow us to reflect on our collective history and celebrate the beauty, strength, and resilience of the Native tribes of North America. We remember the generosity of the Wampanoag tribe to the European settlers. We remember the hundreds of thousands of Native Americans who lost their lives because of the ignorance and greed of colonists and the genocide experienced by whole tribes. We remember the vibrant and resilient Native descendants, families, and communities that persist to this day throughout the culture and the country.”