Decolonizing Thanksgiving

Decolonizing Thanksgiving

Note: this is a repost of our post from November 2020 with some new resources added.

We understand that Thanksgiving may be painful for many indigenous folx. We hope that by offering some resources to those who may be celebrating we can help address the atrocities of colonialism and begin to heal ourselves and the land.

We share this Thanksgiving address with greetings to the natural world from Haudenosaunee. As Robin Wall Kimmerer prompts in her book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, “What would it be like to be raised on gratitude, to speak to the natural world as a member of the democracy of species, to raise a pledge of interdependence? No declarations of political loyalty are required, just a response to a repeated question: 'Can we agree to be grateful for all that is given?'"

Whatever way you choose to engage with Thanksgiving, we invite you to learn more about Indigenous ways of knowing. 

We share a few resources from Slow Food USA to reframe and reimagine the day.

COOK: Indigenous ingredients and recipes with Recipes from Turtle Island

REFLECT: An Interview with Chef Brian Yazzie (his most used ingredients, favorite native-owned restaurants, and a couple of recipes).

LEARN:  The Thanksgiving Tale We Tell Is a Harmful Lie. As a Native American, I’ve Found a Better Way to Celebrate the Holiday by Sean Sherman

TEACH: Decolonizing Thanksgiving: A Toolkit for Combatting Racism in Schools

Here are some additional resources:

We also know that this year in particular may be extra challenging for some people as they may not be able to gather with their loved ones. If you are in need of food, please be sure to check our webpage here, where we have compiled some resources. If you are feeling isolated, alone, or hopeless, please reach out. You are not alone.

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