"Thanksgiving" (or more appropriately, Thankstaking) is steeped in America’s history of genocide and theft from Indigenous Peoples. The weekend of frenzied consumerism that follows further contributes to issues of racism and classism in this country. In an effort to center the voices of Indigenous Peoples, I would like to share a list of resources that center Indigenous and Black stories and experiences. It is time we create space and make an active effort to unlearn the colonized interpretation of history.
Addressing histories of exploitation takes deconstructing the systems we operate in. It is important to hold space for reclaiming and healing, recognizing the trauma and genocide that is widely celebrated through what has been painted as an endearing holiday of gratitude. Our acknowledgement of this horrific truth and examination of how we can provide support without causing further damage is a necessary step if we are to be part of creating real systemic change.
Food for Thought
This list is curated in collaboration with Indigenous and Black educators including Katie Pruett of Ethical Style Journal (ESJ), Charlie Amáyá Scott, and Kathleen Simonds Williams as part of the Reclaim Black Friday Redistribution campaign.
/BOOKS/
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the US by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Not a Nation of Immigrants by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Decolonizing Wealth by Edgar Villanueva
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria by Beverly Daniel Tatum
Neither Settler Nor Native by Mahmood Mamdani
/EXPLORE/
Thanksgiving: A Day of Mourning Explained - Resources Curated by Diné Aesthetics
Thanksgiving or Thankstaking? - Art of Citizenry Podcast Episode 9
Resource List: Unlearning the History of Thanksgiving by Neftalí Durán
Decolonizing Thanksgiving: A Toolkit for Combatting Racism in Schools
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe welcomed Pilgrims, but loses land on eve of Thanksgiving
A Collection of Treaties published by the Oklahoma State University
The Henceforeward Podcast - Exploring relationships between Indigenous Peoples and Black Peoples on Turtle Island
Gather - This documentary takes a close look at Indigenous American movements that aim to rediscover identity and reclaim sovereignty through ancestral foods.
[TIME] What Thanksgiving Means Today to the Native American Tribe That Fed the Pilgrims
/ORGANIZATIONS TO REDISTRIBUTE TO/
Systemic change follows cultural change. As individuals residing on and benefitting from stolen land, here are some Indigenous and Black land-based organizations for you to consider redistributing wealth to:
Pay Your Land Tax: Most Indigenous communities offer the opportunity to those who reside on their land to pay land tax. If you don’t know the name of your local tribe, use tools such as https://native-land.ca/ to look it up.
The Chapter House: A virtual space for Indigenous Peoples and allies to appreciate art, convene and collaborate, celebrate individual and shared Indigenous cultures, and explore the complexities of the 21st Century Indigenous experience.
Soul Fire Farm: An Afro-Indigenous centered community farm committed to uprooting racism and seeding sovereignty in the food system.
Black Farmer Fund: The mission of Black Farmer Fund is to create a thriving, resilient, and equitable food system by investing in black food systems entrepreneurs and communities in New York.
The Amah Mutsun Land Trust (AMLT): The AMLT returns our tribe to our ancestral lands and restores our role as environmental stewards.
DIGDEEP Navajo Water Project: More than 40% of Navajo families don’t have clean, running water, right here in the United States. Our mission is to get clean, hot and cold running water to more households, so families can stop hauling and start enjoying the simple miracle of a working tap.
Tomaquag Museum: Tomaquag Museum envisions its future as an Indigenous Cultural Education destination that engages visitors in thoughtful dialogue that promotes understanding and strives to create experiences that transform people's lives by broadening their perspectives, attitudes, and knowledge of Indigenous Cultures and the interrelationship with the wider world.
/QUESTIONS TO PONDER/
An Invitation to Self-Examine for White People
by Kathleen (Kat) Simonds Williams an Indigenous (Narragansett and Pequot) and African-American writer born, raised, and currently based in Providence, Rhode Island. She shares her insights on her blog Views from the Clearing.
White individuals in America have directly and indirectly contributed to harmful cycles of exploitation by the nature of this country’s history. It is therefore, the responsibility of white and white passing individuals to help dismantle the systems that cause harm.
In lieu of engaging Indigenous people, particularly Wampanoag and Pequot, to educate white people about Thanksgiving, here are a set of questions for white people. Decomposing white supremacy is not possible so long as white people continually ask to Indigenous people to re-live generational trauma. These questions are not rhetorical. They are a call to white people to self-examine.
Thanksgiving is a foundational myth to white American identity. The holiday is based on genocide of Indigenous people. What does that tell you about white American identity?
Do you feel it is the responsibility of Indigenous people to educate white people about Thanksgiving? Why or why not?
Who were your people before you called yourselves white?
What is the process by which you became white in the United States? What did you gain? What did you have to forfeit?
What is white culture?
Do you associate Indigenous people with Thanksgiving? Why or why not?
How has your family benefitted from the removal and genocide of Indigenous people? How do you continue to benefit?
How has your family benefitted from American chattel slavery and anti-Black racism? How do you continue to benefit?
Reflect: What privileges do you hold?
/LISTEN — ART OF CITIZENRY PODCAST/
THANKSGIVING OR THANKSTAKING?
Episode 09 of Art of Citizenry Podcast features the voices of 4 Indigenous and Black activists and educators: Charlie Amáyá Scott, Kai Ramey, Katie Pruett and Emma Robbins. Together, they deconstruct America's dark history of genocide, theft and trauma, while having an honest conversation around how they each navigate the problematic holiday of "Thanksgiving."
/UPDATES + THOUGHTS/
For over a year small farmers and farmworkers across India have been protesting three agricultural bills that threaten to privatize India's agricultural industry. Last Friday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that he would repeal the three bills. While there is much to celebrate, the status quo is in itself broken. The system is already hurting farmers with farmer suicides and incredibly high cancer rates across India's farming communities. For farmers in Punjab, the conversation of land back and food sovereignty is an important one, and one I can't help but reflect on during a month dedicated to celebrating the stealing of land here in the United States.
Land back is rooted in this idea of literally getting to stewardship and restoring that ancestral relationship with the land, and letting Indigenous people lead the conversation. - Charlie Amáyá Scott
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