11 Ways to Relearn Thanksgiving and to Honor Native Peoples
With Native American Heritage Month well underway and Thanksgiving/National Day of Mourning occurring tomorrow, it is an excellent time to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ brilliance, honor and acknowledge truth in history, recognize whose land we are on, and work towards true allyship. We call upon our Cultural Survival community to learn from Indigenous Peoples and their true account of this federal holiday, confront settler mythologies of this country's history, understand how American colonialism and imperialism continue to impact Indigenous communities today, and to take steps towards true reconciliation. Explore the many ways to honor and celebrate Indigenous Peoples every day.
1. Learn the Real History of Thanksgiving.
Read and share these articles!
For Kids:
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Watch the 2024 Rethinking Thanksgiving Webinar by Indigenous Solidarity Network.
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Watch Captured 1614
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Watch National Day of Mourning by Smoke Sygnals.
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2. Learn about Land Acknowledgement, Traditional Lands, and Treaties.
If you’re unsure about the Indigenous Peoples' land you are living on, you can search your location using Native Land. The Native Governance Center shares this handy Guide to Indigenous Land Acknowledgement.
Other resources include Tribal Nations Maps, a source of hard copy maps that identify the traditional lands of Tribes in North and South America and the Caribbean, and the Smithsonian’s digital archive of treaties made between the United States and Indigenous Tribes.
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The United States has ratified more than 370 treaties with Native American Nations. Yet, many Americans know little about the treaties that shaped and continue to impact the country today.
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3. Support Indigenous-led Nonprofits.
Support Native organizations in your area who are working hard to improve the health, well-being, livelihoods and to uphold the rights of Native Americans across Indian country.
Cultural Survival works on this issue nationally and internationally. We also invite you to support Indigenous-led organizations and Tribes local to your community. In Cambridge, MA, where we are headquartered on Massachusett land, we partner with Native American Indian Center of Boston and United American Indians of New England, and support Eastern Woodland Rematriation. Also show your support for the Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project, Native Land Conservancy, Wampanoag Trading Post and Gallery, The Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag, Native American LifeLines of Boston, Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness, Nolumbeka Project, Ohketeau Cultural Center, and No Loose Braids.
More suggestions here.
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4. Listen to Indigenous Voices.
Landback - A Conversation with Demetrius Johnson
Demetrius Johnson (Diné) is a #LandBack Organizer at Rapid City, South Dakota-based nonprofit NDN Collective. Originally from Tółaní, Ganado, Arizona, Johnson began community organizing shortly after being elected President of Kiva Club around the disastrous Gold King Mine spill that affected his people in 2015. Cultural Survival’s Indigenous Rights Radio Coordinator, Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan), spoke with Johnson about his work on NDN Collective’s #LandBack Campaign.
The Importance of Deskaheh in the International Indigenous Movement
On July 14, 1923, the Hereditary Chief of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Deskaheh Levi General (Cayuga), traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, to speak before the League of Nations. He sought to obtain international recognition of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (historically known as the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, composed of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora Nations) as a sovereign Indigenous Nation governed by a hereditary council of chiefs.
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5. Decolonize Your Dinner With Your Local Indigenous Chefs and Restaurants.
Native chefs have created a culinary movement with the goal of getting Indigenous people to honor their ancestors through their dietary choices. Bring Native American dishes to the dinner table.
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6. Hire Indigenous Performers and Educators for Your Next Event.
Hire Native performers, keynote speakers, and educators for an event!
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Watch The "First Thanksgiving” Inquiry | Cranberry Day: Traditional Harvest Festivals by Smoke Sygnals.
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11. 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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