November is Native American Heritage Month. This is a time to learn about the people who originally inhabited the land that comprises the modern nation state USA. With the exception of street, city and state names throughout the country, most people don’t encounter much evidence that culturally distinct nations existed in the same areas before them. And while this is true most anywhere in the world where ancient cultures were preceded by even more ancient cultures and people groups fought and exiled other people groups, ours is a relatively recent history. And though they are a small percentage of the entire country’s population today, there are many Native Americans who embrace their culture’s traditions and continue to keep these meaningful and important narratives alive. Native American Heritage Month is for learning about the true origins of this place and the people who uphold this rich heritage.
The Origins of the Thanksgiving Holiday
As most Americans swap Halloween decorations for Thanksgiving decorations, it is important to understand the truth of the Thanksgiving holiday origins. While it’s always good to be thankful and to celebrate a holiday that fosters gratitude, the innocent Pilgrim and Indian theme masks the beginning of a much darker reality that entire nations of indigenous peoples endured over the following centuries. Plenty of sources provide a historically accurate account of what came to be known as the first Thanksgiving. To summarize it very briefly, the Wampanoag Indians were tolerated but unwanted guests at the Pilgrims’ rejoicing feast in November 1621. Even though the thin diplomatic ties between the two cultures soon after dissipated, replaced by a long and systematic onslaught of increasingly outnumbered tribal peoples, land acquisitions, and slave trade, Thanksgiving became a holiday in 1863 when President Lincoln established it to assuage the national trauma of the Civil War.
Holiday juxtapositions aren’t unique to Thanksgiving. Most people know that Christmas has pagan roots (and that the birth of Christ is believed to have occurred in September) and that Easter eggs and bunnies have pagan roots that are unrelated to the resurrection of Christ. Of course, some religious groups choose to not celebrate these holidays for obvious reasons. Others acknowledge the holiday roots but choose to celebrate the modern meanings they’ve adopted (and others simply don’t mind). But the origins of Thanksgiving are unique because they’re much more recent and much more controversial. The controversy doesn’t involve religion but geopolitics and ethnic cleansing. It feels strange and disconnected to ‘celebrate’ an event with that connotation, especially with images of congenial Pilgrim and Indian ‘friends’. And while I certainly don’t think anyone should traumatize young children with the gory details, it seems undignified to teach an offensively inaccurate account of history.
Giving Thanks with a Thanksgiving Makeover
To truly embrace the spirit of what we currently associate with Thanksgiving – that is, gratitude and sharing autumn’s bounty with loved ones as well as those who are different from us – we need to reconcile our focus with our beliefs. If we truly believe all humans deserve equal rights and that it’s wrong to kill, steal from and enslave others, we need to divorce Thanksgiving from its false narrative. We can still celebrate Thanksgiving with its altruistic adopted meaning while actively rejecting both the false narrative we’ve been taught as well as the actual spirit with which Pilgrims/all Europeans claimed this country. We can honor our First Nations friends and their ancestors who lived here long before Europeans forever changed the physical and ethnographic landscape of the country by teaching our children about their culture and former predominance before First Contact and its subsequent wars, diseases and forced assimilation.
New England Native Americans observe the date of Thanksgiving as the National Day of Mourning since it marked the beginning of centuries of tragedy for indigenous peoples. It’s healthy to simultaneously mourn and be thankful. We do this all the time at funerals. We mourn the loss of someone we love while expressing gratitude for all of the things they did and who they were. In the same way, we mourn our Native American predecessors who Europeans tried to wipe off the map, but we are also thankful for everything in life that there is to be thankful for. We can celebrate Thanksgiving through a historically accurate lens. Native American Heritage Month helps reminds us of their rich heritage they keep strong and alive today. We can honor and celebrate all diverse cultures in this country and our shared values of family, freedom, and the right to live in peace.
Six Ways to Celebrate Native American Heritage Month
I used to get so bummed about November because it falls between my two favourite holidays (Halloween and Christmas), but now I embrace it as a month of rest between two exciting seasons where I focus less on the aesthetics of a holiday and more on the basics: the earth. Largely depending on where you live, November may be the last month during which you have a pretty good chance of spending most days outside in comfortable weather (without bundling up for a snowscape, that is). I like to spend as much time outside in the sun as I can – especially since Daylight Savings shortens the evening even further. And autumn weather is largely accommodating. With that in mind, there are a few seasonally suitable ways to celebrate Native American Heritage Month.
1. Pay Attention to Nature
I think the most fundamental way to honor Native Americans’ heritage is to honor the earth. After all, they were very connected to the land, used its resources efficiently, and left it largely unscathed. How do we honor the earth? Spend time in its presence – outside, that is, among vegetation and actual dirt (and perhaps water). We enjoy its bounty with gratitude and respect. We get to know it – learn about the types of plants and soil outside our door, which were here long before we built our modern structures. And we do what we can to lesson our negative imprint on the environment. Spending time outside is also beneficial to our physical and mental health, especially if we incorporate exercise or meditation.
2. Learn About the Native Cultures Around You
Native tribes occupied the entire United States long before it was carved into delineated states, so even if you cannot find an existing organization or tribe with an active presence in your own jurisdiction or county, you can learn about who used to live there at any given time. Learning about the history of the land is hugely important. But don’t think that Native American heritage only exists in history. There are so many people groups and tribes all over the country, even if you don’t immediately notice anything in modern metropolitan areas. Find out who lives closest to you and whether there are any educational programs, museums, or events you can attend or ways you can volunteer. Not only will you educate yourself, but you will help by spreading what you learn and by taking whatever actions are beneficial to support and advocate for others.
3. Plan Your Next Vacation as an Educational and Exploratory Visit to a Native Region
Most Americans have precious little vacation time as it is, so you may prefer limiting it to whatever’s your favourite destination (understandably!). However, if it is within possibility, find out if there are any regions where you can find a strong Native American cultural presence and – with the intention of respectfully exploring the natural area and learning from the people there – see whether you can plan a trip to visit. Traveling is a refreshing and invigorating way to treat yourself to new sights and surprises.
I recently visited Cherokee, where there are several events open to the public to learn about the traditional Cherokee culture in an immersive way. My family and I visited the Oconaluftee Indian Village where we were led on a guided tour to watch Cherokee people engage in traditional crafts like basket-weaving, wood carving, and other activities. We learned about the seven clans and many customs and traditions during a fascinating lecture. We enjoyed walking through the beautiful botanical trail, which my two-year old especially loved (he also enjoyed going inside recreated Cherokee homes from centuries past during our guided tour).
The Museum of the Cherokee Indian was incredibly informative and engaging. My favourite activity was the storytelling bonfire where a Cherokee man told stories – true stories, that is – about the Cherokee people and countered the myths perpetuated by Hollywood and even by actual educational programs (from non-Cherokee producers).
When you go somewhere with a purpose not of seeking entertainment but of learning about the area, and you intentionally visit places or events where you can easily do so, you will likely find it well worth your time and effort.
4. Invest in Native American-owned Businesses
Shop native! As we enter the most commercially insane two months of the year, spend your dollar wisely. Support Native American businessmen and women by buying from their businesses instead of from large corporations.
5. Decorate with Native American Art and Decor
I almost avoided this topic because of the risk of crossing the line into cultural appropriation. But when you fully understand what objects or materials you’re using and respectfully embrace the meaning behind them, it is acceptable to incorporate Native American decorations in your home space. The difference lies in your intention: collecting a bunch of stuff to display because you think it’s trendy and makes you or your home look interesting, versus purchasing something from a Native American person or group that you have educated yourself about and respectfully incorporate into your home.
6. Learn How to Cook Native American Dishes
To learn new recipes (with foods that are biologically native to this country, at that) is an exciting adventure that most people’s palates would enjoy. If you practice enough meals to hone in on what turns out the best, you can introduce a Native American meal at Thanksgiving! Sean Sherman explains in this illuminating article on celebrating Thanksgiving as a Lakota Sioux:
‘Many of my indigenous brothers and sisters refuse to celebrate Thanksgiving, protesting the whitewashing of the horrors our ancestors went through, and I don’t blame them. But I have not abandoned the holiday. I have just changed how I practice it.
The thing is, we do not need the poisonous “pilgrims and Indians” narrative. We do not need that illusion of past unity to actually unite people today. Instead, we can focus simply on values that apply to everybody: togetherness, generosity and gratitude. And we can make the day about what everybody wants to talk and think about anyway: the food.’
He concludes the article with a poignant truth:
‘There is no need to make Thanksgiving about a false past. It is so much better when it celebrates the beauty of the present.’
Sean Sherman
Explore a new culinary world with truly traditional American recipes.
The Takeaway: November is When to Celebrate Native American Heritage (But So is Any Month)
You may be facing a very busy month with little time for educational pursuits or other efforts. That’s okay. Even though November is Native American Heritage Month, there is never a bad time to partake in any of the above-mentioned activities! There is so much to learn from the many tribes across this country, and you could spend an entire year reading, watching educational videos online from different tribal groups, and attending gatherings where you can educate yourself or get involved. But if you have the time and you need a focus for the month of November, make it about Native American Heritage Month.