5 Ways to Honor Native People on Thanksgiving
Stories told about the first Thanksgiving often perpetuate harmful stereotypes and racism. It is important to set the record straight, debunk myths and show Native Americans as contemporary people with dynamic thriving cultures.
November is National Native American Heritage Month and offers many opportunities to move past one-dimensional representations.
1. Learn the Real History of Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving, like Columbus Day, serves as a reminder of the genocide and violence Native communities experienced. Learn about Thanksgiving and early colonial history from the Native perspective.
A Wampanoag's perspective on the first Thanksgiving
Cracked.com's 5 Facts About Thanksgiving Your History Teacher Left Out
Christopher Moraff's 2012 piece, "Should We Rename Thanksgiving 'National Ethnic Cleansing Day'?" in Philadelphia magazine.
Do American Indians celebrate Thanksgiving? By NMAI
Powwow.com Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Month Guide
Watch Captured 1614
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| Captured 1614: Introduction |
The video details the 1614 kidnapping of twenty Wampanoag men from Patuxet, the Wampanoag village that eventually became Plymouth Colony, by European explorers who planned to sell them and the additional seven Natives taken from Nauset on Cape Cod as slaves in Spain. Its is an introductory video for the Captured 1614 exhibit created for Plymouth 400 and the Indian Spiritual and Cultural Training Council. All of the cast and most of the crew are Wampanoag. This exhibit is scheduled to start touring New England in November and continue through 2020.
Learn more here
2. Celebrate Native People.
Rebel Music offers Common Core-based curriculum. Share it with the teachers in your life!
- Read The Works of Native Authors
For many years, Native people were silenced and their stories were marginalized. That's why it's especially important to read stories about Native characters, told in Native voices. Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with these great books by Native writers.
10 Children's Books by Native Writers
3. Buy Native This Holiday.
- Come to our Cultural Survival Bazaars and support Native artists.There are 4 more Cultural Survival Bazaars left this season. www.bazaar.cs.org
Support our talented artists: Hawk Henries, Sierra Henries, Fire Hawk Studio, Lenny Novak and Rosanne Menard.
- Not local to Boston? Support Native artists online though the Buy Native Campaign.
Check out Beyond Buckskin, RezonateArt, and ButterflyBuffalo, Eighth Generation and Inspired Natives Project, Buy Native.
4. Share Positive Representations of Native People
Project 562 and Red Works Photography showcase contemporary Native America and Canada with grace, beauty and style.
Matika Wilbur and Nadya Kwadibens are changing the perceptions of Native and First Nations people.
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| Matika Wilbur's 562 Project |
5. End Racist Native Mascots in Sports
There are still more than 1,000 high school, university and professional teams that continue to have Native American mascots. Though changes have been made at the high school and college levels, at the professional level there has been virtually no change. Start the change in your community. Check out our Abolishing Racist Native Mascots: A Toolkit for Change. Get involved: #NotYourMascot, #ChangeTheName, and #NoHonorInRacism.
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| NCAI's Proud To Be |
