The Dichotomy of Thanksgiving: Gratitude and a Glimpse into a Grim Past
Thanksgiving, as celebrated today, epitomizes a warm, inviting tableau of families and friends congregating around a bounteous table, expressing gratitude for the blessings of the past year. It's a day synonymous with togetherness, reflection, and the joy of sharing a hearty meal.
Thanksgiving, as celebrated today, epitomizes a warm, inviting tableau of families and friends congregating around a bounteous table, expressing gratitude for the blessings of the past year. It's a day synonymous with togetherness, reflection, and the joy of sharing a hearty meal. The essence of gratitude and the camaraderie shared on this day is undeniably heartwarming and have become an integral part of the American ethos. However, peeling back the layers of this cherished tradition reveals a narrative far less charming, one steeped in bloodshed, deceit, and attempts at political pacification.
The official inception of Thanksgiving (https://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving) as a recognized holiday dates back to November 1863, amidst the tumult of the Civil War. President Abraham Lincoln, endeavoring to mend the chasms between the northern and southern states and between the U.S. and tribal nations, designated this day. This gesture came on the heels of the tragic mass execution of Dakota tribal members post the Dakota War of 1862 (https://www.mnopedia.org/event/us-dakota-war-1862), a struggle triggered by corrupt federal agents denying essential provisions to the Dakota-Sioux.
As Dr. Mosteller elucidates, the establishment of Thanksgiving was “propaganda,” aimed at fabricating a narrative of community building, unity, and shared brotherhood. Though the historical roots of the day may be murky, the tradition of celebrating a bountiful harvest with gratitude is a universal practice, embraced by various cultures across the globe, albeit without the label of “Thanksgiving.”
The journey of the Pilgrims to Plymouth was not a happenstance but perhaps a calculated decision to evade Anglican control, as discussed by James Loewen in "Lies My Teacher Told Me" (https://newpress.com/books/lies-my-teacher-told-me-james-loewen). Their arrival heralded a dark epoch of lethal epidemics among America's Indigenous populations, who lacked immunity to European diseases.
Central to this narrative is Squanto (Tisquantum), a member of the Wampanoag tribe, whose tragic life mirrored the cataclysmic impact of European arrival on Native Americans. His reluctant alliance with the Pilgrims laid the groundwork for the often-misinterpreted communal feast of 1621, which, contrary to popular belief, was not the congenial gathering of Pilgrims and Native Americans we've come to envision.
Today's Thanksgiving celebration, with its focus on family and gratitude, offers a stark contrast to its grim historical backdrop. While we gather around laden tables, it's a poignant moment to reflect upon and acknowledge the unvarnished historical narrative, thus paying homage to the resilience and the untold stories of the Indigenous peoples whose lives were irrevocably altered by the events that transpired on the soil we now commemorate as a land of gratitude.