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Actually I learned about the slaughter of Metacomet and the Wampanoag in History (college, so a bit less likely to be wild lies), so while the feast may or may not be in regards to the massacre, the massacre happened.
The truth is we will never know. While it may be a blood feast, it certainly is NOT a recreation of some peaceful festival where Natives and whites all got together for potato sack races and barbecue. At best on the nice side I am imagining it was a feast of thanks they got through a tough time and they invited some local Native leaders as a temporary show of friendship. I guess at worst it is a celebration of killing enemies.
As for Russell Means, he's a pretty good man. Flawed like all people, but he would at least have something to show his idea isn't 100% fabrication.
And no, I have not read the Deloria. Sounds very good though. Probably would make me very angry.
The truth is we will never know. While it may be a blood feast, it certainly is NOT a recreation of some peaceful festival where Natives and whites all got together for potato sack races and barbecue. At best on the nice side I am imagining it was a feast of thanks they got through a tough time and they invited some local Native leaders as a temporary show of friendship. I guess at worst it is a celebration of killing enemies.
As for Russell Means, he's a pretty good man. Flawed like all people, but he would at least have something to show his idea isn't 100% fabrication.
And no, I have not read the Deloria. Sounds very good though. Probably would make me very angry.

My feelings are what's done can't be undone. I think it's important to educate oneself of the past so we can make better decisions in the present moment. In no way do I find this holiday as appeasing to the many years of injustice but I do find it somewhat relieving that at least folks are grateful. Although, one has to honestly admit that being thankful is not usually running through peoples heads on this day.
But being around family for me is always good.

Carol

Now for most natives I know, we don't celebrate it, but then we are not Christian either, but it has become a time where you're off from work and school and of course you get together, and you end of drumming, eating and having a good time.
What are your thoughts and feelings about this holiday?
As a Native, I find Thanksgiving repellent and hateful, also insulting and rubbing salt in a wound. It's like as if there was a holiday that celebrated the first slave ship landing on American soil, and they tried to pretend every year it was a feast of diversity and how two brother peoples landed in a New World and tried to make it work together, hand in hand.
And the never-ending BS surrounding people not wanting to let go of pretending they are "Injuns" really makes me want to vomit.
As a generic human living in the USA, I just enjoy it as "Feastmas", a random Fall holiday made for enjoying family and food, sans any other meaning. Kinda like how I observe "Giftmas" as a non-christian. I see it purely and only as a gift and family related winter holiday, nothing more.