Thanksgiving is a holiday that has a wide range of meanings for people in the United States.
We often don’t hear about Native American’s people perspective. Not all Native American people view it the same way but it is important to give some attention to their perspective as this holiday centers itself around the myth of the friendly dinner between the Pilgrims and Native people they met when they arrived to this continent.
Extra Credit project:
Create a short animation (1-3 seconds) or a poster 11×17 that is based on any of the following:
-The Native American perspective on Thanksgiving
-The names, languages of the Native people that originally inhabit your neighborhood, or where your family came from.
-You personal perspective on Thanksgiving
Resources:
A map showing the names of the Native groups that inhabit the lands we live on
A group of young Native American Girls tell us their perspective on Thanksgiving
A Thanksgiving Story that sheds light on its relationship to the genocide of Native Americans
A video from the 48th Annual National Day of Mourning at Plymouth, Massachusetts on November 23, 2017
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiu4kUVXClo
A video with a perspective on Thanksgiving from activist and actor Russel Means
Thanksgiving Mourning- Lesson Plan http://www.tolerance.org/lesson/thanksgiving-mourning
The Wampanoag Side of the First Thanksgiving Story http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/article/the-wampanoag-side-of-the-first-thanksgiving-story-64076
United American Indians of New England – Thanksgiving: A National Day of Mourning for Indians http://www.uaine.org/dom.htm
A personal perspective on thanksgiving by Jacqueline Keeler a member of the Dineh Nation and the Yankton Dakota Sioux.
http://tiyospayenow.blogspot.com/2007/11/thanksgiving-hope-and-hidden-heart-of.html
Teaching about Thanksgiving. A detailed examination of Thanksgiving’s history originally written and developed by Cathy Ross, Mary Robertson, Chuck Larsen, and Roger Fernandes for the Highline School District in Washington State. Contains a bibliography, historical information and class project ideas.
http://www.ewebtribe.com/NACulture/articles/thanksgiving.html#story
Thanksgiving Teacher’s Guide from the Library of Congress (note its minimal mention of Native Americans)
teacher_guide_Thanksgiving – click link to download