Comments on: How Thanksgiving Became the National Day of Mourning for the Wampanoag Native Americans

By: Sukie

Sukie — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:04:12 +0000

Thanksgiving is a celebration of cultures and the grattitude I feel for living in a country where all beliefs can be practiced without persecution. I am an adopted person of mixed heritage. I am not responsible for what horrors were put upon the Native Americans, and feel saddened that somebody like Sarah needs to live in the past. My people were sold as sex slaves and railroad workers, we were interned in prison camps for having slanted eyes, I don’t obsess what was done to my ancesestors, I learn from it. I move forward day to day and ask how I can make this country a better place for my children. The way we do that is to celebrate Thanksgiving in the spirit it was intended, with family and loved ones from every walk of life. I hate what has been done to Native Americans, but saying Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the end is just saying America would be a better place with no white people, which is just as racist and biggoted as the manner in which Native Americans were treated We’re here, all of us from everywhere, move on, and think of how we can help Native Americans in the now, and not obsess about the past.

By: JT

JT — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 03:53:11 +0000

Erin, I agree with you, I doubt too many intelligent Americans actually believe the Native Americans and our ancestral Europeans who came here had such a happy togetherness however I think Sarah’s obvious anti-American hatred runs a bit deep.
I would believe that almost all modern day celebrations, regardless of country or religion, are bred out of at least some myth and half (or at least long forgotten) truth.
Asking us to all leave the US and “return the land to the natives” is at best, an unintelligent solution.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 05:00:10 +0000

Not really Erin. I work in elementary schools. They still cut out and color pictures of “indians” and pilgrims. Pilgrims are depicted as kindly gentle people when they were actually hate filled violent monsters. Whether or not it is being spoken out loud, it is deeply ingrained in american consciousness that this is a holiday that stems from a friendly feast between two peoples. On top of it, the holiday has become little more than a break from jobs people hate and a pretext to month long manic shopping fests. The whole holiday is disgusting from start to finish. And americans need to get in contact with reality. If you want to have a celebration, find something positive and truthful to celebrate. It’s just one more example in a long list of hypocritical, demented american hoaxes.

In order to heal, all americans should join these people in mourning on this day, return the land to the natives, revere their culture in text books and find a day to celebrate that.

(as I write this, there is an advertisement for a national chain store yelling out “shop all day thursday”)

By: Valeri W Lamar

Valeri W Lamar — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 04:52:06 +0000

Hello to my cousin Russell Peters, My mother Zira Thomas is his cousin, Iwas raised in New York. So not much known aboutthe National day of mourning out side of the Native Community. And its not observed as it should be. There should at least be mention of the National day of mournings importance in the media. I grew up in the American Indian Community House in NYC. So there was always mention of the National Day of Mourning and respect for the Wamponoag people during the thanksgiving. I hope to see in the future recognition of the concerns of the native peoples.

By: Brainard Carey

Brainard Carey — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 01:59:10 +0000

Here is a video my son made about the real, very dark, thanksgiving story;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2tcnwQj8tk

brainard

By: nally

nally — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 19:30:03 +0000

yo dude yo yo yo

By: Erin

Erin — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 14:11:05 +0000

Believe me, I don’t dispute that what our history books show as Thanksgiving didn’t happen that way. I just question how many people sit down to their Turkey dinner giving thanks to the Pilgrims and the Indians anymore.

I think Thanksgiving has taken on a different meaning of just giving thanks in general about our lives. At least that’s how it is for me.

By: Peter

Peter — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:39:48 +0000

I can see your arguments and points, all are very valid. I had many myself. Then I read the recently published book A Cultural History of the Native Peoples of Southern New England and my position changed. The book was written from a Native perspective, and has information on the first encounters of Native Americans and pilgrims, as well as the first Thanksgiving. I won't eat turkey the same again...