[00:00:02] KMUD Podcast presents.
[00:00:08] You're listening to the voice of the free music and talk that liberate the mind. People powered radio. Welcome. This is Heart of the Earth, a program about Native Americans and other indigenous cultures. My name is Agnes and I opened with smoke signals. Why the story of Thanksgiving is a lie. And yes, that will be our focus today.
[00:00:36] And this was written by a woman who teaches Native studies, Sandra. I missed her name, but I thought I'd share this story with you because she says each year on the fourth Thursday of November, when many people start to take stock of the marathon day of cooking ahead, Indigenous people from diverse tribes and nations gather at Sunrise in San Francisco Bay. And I just want to interject here. My oven broke. You know, I think the creator was really trying to tell me something. You know, no oven. I mean, I do have a slow cooker and an air fryer and my stovetop, but no oven.
[00:01:13] All right.
[00:01:15] Their gathering is meant to mark a different occasion. The Indigenous People's Thanksgiving Sunrise Ceremony. An annual celebration that spots Slight's 500 years of native resistance to colonialism and what was dubbed the New World. Held on the traditional lands of the Ohlone people. The Gadget Gathering as a call for remembrance and for future action for indigenous people and their allies. As a scholar of Indigenous literary and cultural studies, I introduce my students to the long and enduring history of Indigenous Peoples pushback against settler violence. The origins of this sunrise event are a particularly compelling example that stem from a pivotal moment of Indigenous activism. The Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island. A 19 month long takeover that began in 1960.
[00:02:07] On November 20th of 1969, led by indigenous organizers Richard Oaks of the Mohawk Nation and Lanada Warjack, the Shoshone Bannock Nation, roughly 100 activists who called themselves quote Indian of all Tribes or IAT traveled by charter boat across San Francisco Bay to reclaim the island for Native peoples. Multiple groups had done smaller demonstrations on Alcatraz in previous years, but this group planned to stay and it maintained, maintained its presence there until 1971. And before this occupation, Alcatraz island served as a military prison and then a Federal Penitentiary U.S. prison. Alcatraz was decommissioned in 1963 because of the high cost of its upkeep. And it was essentially left abandoned in November of 1969 after a fire destroyed the American Indian center in San Francisco. Local Indigenous activists were looking for a new place where urban Indians could gather and access resources such as legal assistance and educational opportunities. And Alcatraz fit the bill. Citing a federal law that stated quote, Unused or retired federal lands will be returned to Native American tribes. Oaks group settled in to live on the rock. They elected a council and established a school, a medical center and other necessary infrastructure. They even had a pirate radio show called Radio Free Alcatraz, hosted by Sante Lakota poet John Trudel. The IAT did offer a bet satirically to purchase the island back, proposing in the 1969 proclamation quote $24 in glass beads and red cloth a precedent set by the white man by by the white man's purchase of a similar island about 300 years ago, referring to the purchase of Manhattan island by the Dutch in 1626. And if you want a little more history on that, you know Wall street they think oh, Wall street. It all has to do with stocks on the Wall street was because they put a wall up because they wanted to make sure that the native people didn't come back to Manhattan island to continue on behalf of the iat. Oaks sent the following message to the regional office San Francisco Office of Department of the Interior shortly after they arrived. Quote the choice now lies with the leaders of the American government to use violence upon remove us from our Great Spirit's land or to institute a real change in its dealing with the American Indian. We and all other oppressed people would welcome spectacle of proof before the world of your title by genocide. Nevertheless, we seek peace. After 19 months, the occupation ultimately succumbed to internal and external pressures. Oakes left the island after a family tragedy and many members of the original group returned to school, leaving a gap leadership. Moreover, the government cut off water and electricity to the island and a mysterious fire destroyed several buildings with the indigenous occupiers and government officials pointing the blame at one another.
[00:05:30] By June of 1971, President Richard Nixon was ready to intervene and ordered federal agents to remove the few remaining occupiers. The occupation was over, but it helped spark an indigenous political revitalization that continues today. It also pushed Nixon to put an official end to the termination era. A legislative effort geared toward ending the federal government's responsibility to Native nations as articulated in treaties and formal agreements. In 1975, on Thanksgiving Day was established to both mark the occupation and advocate for indigenous self determination. For many participants on Thanksgiving Day was also a reiteration of the original declaration released by the IAT which called on the US to acknowledge the impacts of 500 years of genocide against indigenous people.
[00:06:27] These days the event is conducted by the International Indian Treaty Council and it's largely referred to as Indigenous People's Thanksgiving Sunrise Gathering. Sunrise ceremony and Alcatraz Celebrating the Indigenous People's Day. Participants Meet on Pier 33 in San Francisco before dawn and board boats to Alcatraz island, bringing Native peoples and allies together in the place that symbolizes a key moment in the long history of Indigenous resistance. At dawn, in the courtyard of what was once a federal penitentiary, sunrise ceremonies are conducted to, quote, give thanks for our lives, for the beatings of our heart, said Andrea Carmen, a member of the Yaqui Nation and the executive director of the International Indian Treaty Council, said in the 2018 gathering. Songs and dances from various tribal nations are performed in prayer and acts of collective solidarity. At the gathering. Lakota Hardin, who is Yantan Lakota and Ho Chunk community leader and organizer, emphasized that, quote, those voices and the medicine in those songs are centuries old and our ancestors come and they appreciate being acknowledged when the sun comes up. And through the sharing of song and dance, they enact culturally resonant resistance against the erasure of Native peoples from these lands. The Indigenous Peoples Thanksgiving Sunrise Gathering also gives people the chance to bring greater community awareness to current struggles facing Indigenous people across the globe. These include the intensifying impacts of climate change, the widespread violence against Native women, children and two spirit individuals, and ongoing threats to the integrity of their ancestral homelands. Indigenous Peoples Thanksgiving Sunrise Gathering lands near the end of Native American Heritage Month, which is dedicated to celebrating the vast and diverse Indigenous nations and tribes that exist in the United States. Professor Jamie Folson, who is Choctaw, describes this month as a chance to, quote, present who we are today and to present our issues and our own voices and to tell our own stories.
[00:08:51] The people who will meet on Pier 33 on the fourth Thursday of November continue this story of Indigenous political action on the Rock and by extension in North America. The more than 50 year history of this gathering is a testament to the endurance of the original message from Oaks and the Indians of all tribes. It's also part of a larger network of resistant movements led by Native peoples, particularly young people. As Hardin says, the next generation is asking for change. Quote, they're standing up and saying we've had enough and our future generations will make sure that things change.
[00:09:32] I'm going to share this with you. This is from Sarah Sunshine Manning. She is also John Trudell's niece. She's from Shoshone Paiute, Chippewa Cree. She's a mother, educator, activist and an advocate for youth. And she says as Thanksgiving approaches, many schools throughout the US Are making preparations for the standard and all too cliche Thanksgiving Day Lessons and Fairy Tale Esque and Fairy Tale Esque. Thanksgiving plays and more often.
[00:10:08] All right, I got my glasses on now. Okay. And more often than not, the school Thanksgiving activities are largely based on what ultimately amounts to.
[00:10:18] Ultimately amounts to myth created to serve the imaginations of the dominant society. And simultaneously, the myth usually goes a little something like this. Pilgrims came to America in order to escape religious prosecution in England. Living conditions proved difficult in the New World. But thanks to the friendly Indian Squanto, the Pilgrims learned to grow corn and survive in unfamiliar lands. It wasn't long before the Indians and the Pilgrims became good friends. To celebrate their friendship and abundant harvest, Indians in feathered headbands joined together with the Pilgrims and shared in a friendly feast of turkey and togetherness. Happy Thanksgiving. The end KMUD is a community radio station in the Redwood region of Northern California. Donate to support people powered
[email protected] for this account, the unsuspecting child might assume a number of things. Firstly, they may assume that Pilgrims merely settled the New World innocently. And as a persecuted people, they arrived to America with pure and altruistic intentions. Secondly, children might assume, and rightfully so, that Indians and Pilgrims were friends and that this friendship must have laid the the framework for the great American nation. So what exactly is the harm in this school sanctioned account of history? Understandably, the untrained eye may not notice the harm in such a myth, as most Americans are victims to the same whitewashed lie as the rest. And dismantling a centuries old myth certainly does prove challenging. But the first lesson to educators and adults to digest is the fact that this narrative is egregiously whitewashed and Eurocentric on many levels. Moreover, it is a lie which serves to rob American children of valuable historic lessons. Truth be told, this beloved lie was packaged solely for nationalistic consumption when following the bloody Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863. And back then, Americans were desperately in need of unity and inspiration. Hence, the myth of the first Thanksgivings was born to inspire and unite. Beyond the myth and the seemingly good intentions of Abraham Lincoln, who actually despised Indians, the actual story of Pilgrims and Indigenous peoples went down much differently.
[00:13:10] As a social science educator, I strongly advocate for the unabridged study of human history, for the many valuable lessons embedd in the stories of our past. Changing any story essentially means shortchanging American society from extremely valuable lessons. Lessons that function to plant the seeds of social consciousness and humanitarian evolution.
[00:13:39] So let's take a look at a different version of history, a fuller version and hopefully extract some meaningful lessons from our shared past.
[00:13:49] One day, the Wampanoag people of the eastern coast of the Americas noticed unfamiliar people in their homelands. These unfamiliar people were English pilgrims coming to a new land, which they dubbed America, in order to settle and create a new life. The Wampanoag were initially uneasy with the settlers, but they eventually engaged in a shaky relationship of commerce and exchange. Also, in observing that the Pilgrims nearly died from a harsh winter, the Wampanoag stepped in to help. The Wampanoag chief Massawut eventually entered into agreements with the Pilgrims and on behalf of the Wampanoag nation, decided to be allies. While each nation coexisted in the same space together, at one time, the Wampanoagan Pilgrims shared in a meal of wild fowl, deer and shellfish. After Masinot's death, the Wampanoag nation became weakened as a result of disease contracted from the English. It wasn't long before the Pilgrims began tormenting surrounding tribes, burning entire villages to the ground, while indigenous men, women, and children lay sleeping. Uneasy with the growing cruelty, greed and arrogance of the new people in their homelands, the Wampanoag began to distrust the Pilgrim. The Pilgrims soon demanded that the Wampanoag submit to them and give up all their weapons.
[00:15:21] Shortly after, the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag were at war, and in the end, the Pilgrims rose victorious. At the close of the war, the Wampanoag were nearly decimated and the son of Chief Massenot Metacom was killed by the Pilgrims, dismembered, beheaded, and his head impaled on a spear. Outside of Plymouth Rock, Menacom's young son was sent to the West Indies as a slave, along with numerous other Wampanoag and surrounding tribes. A day of thanksgiving was declared, and to celebrate, the Pilgrims kicked the heads of dead indigenous people around like soccer balls. And this was not the end. As Indigenous nations throughout America were continually betrayed by European settlers, killed by disease, germ warfare, hunted for bounties, sent overseas as slaves, and ultimately pushed out of their homelands and onto prison camps, now commonly known as reservations, few survived the depressing conditions. And as a result of centuries of historical trauma, indigenous nations today have staggering rates of depression, mental health disparities, suicide, and deaths due to alcohol and drugs. Indigenous people continue to struggle to cope with historical trauma and heal deeply impeded wounds which stem directly from colonialism. This still is not the end. The lessons to be gained from the truths of history are many, and conversely, those lessons are lost in whitewashed myths While glossing over the very real consequences of colonialism, the mystical version of Thanksgiving creates a fairy tale of land theft, betrayal, brutality, and genocide, virtually functioning to erase the very real and traumatic experiences of entire Indigenous nations. This phenomenon of white watching and outright erasure of Indigenous history in many instances is not only humane and oppressive to the Indigenous people, but is also unfair to all Americans who stand to learn from rich and equally tragic history. Without question, colonialism is great for the colonizer and disastrous for the colonized. Colonization reduces entire populations and leaves generational wounds that linger stubbornly for centuries. This is a lesson that all Americans must heed. As a result of propagating the mystical version of Thanksgiving, American children and adults alike become confused about history and moreover, the Thanksgiving lie outright prevents a collective American understanding of the contemporary struggles of Native American people today. And without understanding the 500 years of colonial impact on Indigenous people, scores of bigoted attitudes have emerged as Americans cannot seem to wrap their heads around the many struggles of tribal communities today that stem directly from colonization.
[00:18:35] And to be sure, the Thanksgiving myth has many consequences. And aside from breeding ignorance and reinforcing bigotry, the myth silences the already marginalized Indigenous people who desperately need to hear, share and tell our story as part of the healing process. It is time to let go of the myth and embrace truth. And we must start in schools where young people, where young children look to their teachers with inquisitive eyes. As the all knowing authorities, as educational institutions, schools must be progressive and bravely moving toward truth while moving away from any semblance of ongoing myth sanctioning. This change is long overdue and all of our children deserve truth, meaningful lessons and a robust dose of humanitarian development. And the great news is our entire world stands to benefit from it.
[00:19:37] Depending on the age of students, different degrees of the story can and should be told. And conversely, the myth, the school plays and the story of happy Indians and friendly pilgrims needs to be abandoned wholesale. This leveling out of myth creates space for new conversations and lessons of unity and deeper understanding of what it truly means to be a good human being and what and that is something to be thankful for. I'm going to share this with you. This is from Tommy Oren. She's a tribal citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes of Oklahoma. He teaches at the MFA program at the Institute of American Indian Arts. His best selling novel There There was Pub in early of 2018. In February of 2024 his second novel, Wandering Stars was released and was recently named to the Times 100 must read books of 2024 list. He was born and raised in Oakland, California, and currently lives in Angels Camp.
[00:20:44] And he says, the first Thanksgiving I remember, I was in the second grade. I didn't know my teacher and asked my dad to come talk to the class. When he walked in, I was embarrassed to see him there.
[00:20:58] He said that white people came and didn't know how to survive on this land. So we helped them out, then celebrated with the meal. It was a story I had heard in school before, but not at home. At home, we heard the story of the Sand Creek Massacre, about how our Cheyenne relatives made it through. In November 1864, we were told to fly the American flag. We flew a white one, too. And we were. And we were gathered around those flags on our knees, begging for mercy when they came for us. My dad was born and raised on a reservation in Oklahoma. He didn't speak English or even see a white person until he was five years old. I grew up in Oakland. My mom is white, and we lived near her side of the family. I hardly ever saw other native people. I'm embarrassed now that I was embarrassed. Then I feel shame that I felt shame to see my father there to tell us a story about Thanksgiving.
[00:22:03] My heritage had felt invisible my whole life. It didn't feel right to be seen. All of a sudden, last year, we got national me or a few years back, we got national media attention at the Dakota Access Pipeline protest when.
[00:22:21] When they sicced their dogs on us. The last time we got that kind of attention, Richard Nixon was in office when we occupied alcatraz for almost two years. That occupation started the week of Thanksgiving of 1969 in North Dakota, almost 50 years later. Private militia spent the week of Thanksgiving shooting native protesters with rubber bullets and spraying us with freezing water. Some of us had never seen ourselves on screen. And then we saw them trying to get rid of us. Like time never moved. Like the Indian wars didn't end, just went cold. At Sand Creek. Colonel John Chivington said, quote, damn any man who sympathizes with the Indians. I have come to kill Indians and believe it is right and honorable to use any means, any means under God's heaven to kill Indians. He and his men killed more than 200 elders, women and children in one day. Chivington was never held accountable for his actions. Damned sympathy. Crude oil flows freely under native land in North Dakota today.
[00:23:34] I grew up celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday the same as everyone else. I'm ashamed that I haven't thought more critically about the day ashamed at my inherent complicity in celebrating that single meal.
[00:23:49] There was one meal in 1621. In 1622, the Indian wars began. Native people were systematically erased through genocidal policy. The Indian wars ended in 1924, but again, they just went cold because as soon as they ended, the Indian Termination era began. Those battles were won by passing legislation that made it harder for us to stay visible, to thrive as a people, to stay alive.
[00:24:24] This November, most Americans will sit down with their families and eat a Thanksgiving meal. Some still will be recovering from the night before, which is now known as Blackout Wednesday, the most profitable night of the year, in bars across the country. Others will have their children tell the story about the Indians and the Pilgrims, and plenty of people will feel genuine gratitude. Most won't think about the history of the meal before, during or after digesting their turkey.
[00:24:57] We can see the eye rolling coming before we explain the reason why the holiday is complicated for us.
[00:25:04] We've explained before to the same eyes that only that only want to look away, not have to get political. To those of us who suffer from history's consequences and don't benefit from them, talking about our beliefs, even just telling our stories, is automatically political.
[00:25:24] We, you and I and everyone, are still trying to absolve ourselves of history. But we don't want to do it by talking about it. We don't want the taste of it in our mouths. We're devoted to keeping it under our placemats. Blackout Wednesday. Gorge Thursday. Get Deals Friday. We hide the lie under the darkness of digestion.
[00:25:49] One this is we don't have to buy turkey. We don't have to buy any of it.
[00:25:57] Sure, it's a tradition. So is the Confederate flag.
[00:26:01] Here's what we can do this Thanksgiving. Anything else? Everyone has the day off. Most people have an unchecked investment in the holiday. They may not say it, but they want to keep the illusion that America's roots are true.
[00:26:19] On Tuesday, the president pardoned a turkey. He actually pardoned two turkeys. You should know that turkeys who are pardoned by presidents go to a farm in Virginia, where they usually die within a month. They're bread for the table. There are zero surviving past pardoned turkeys.
[00:26:37] Celebrate the holiday or not. Believe in American mercy. Or don't. But look where tradition has gotten us so far. Look where we are now. This is from Annette Pebler, who writes for Native Sun News, and she says there are two sides of a story.
[00:26:59] Unfortunately, when it comes to the history of Thanksgiving, generations of Americans have been taught a one sided history in their homes and schools. The dominant culture and historical story has been told from the perspective of the European colonists who landed near Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts in 1620. In this version of the Thanksgiving story, the holiday commemorates the peaceful, friendly meeting of English settlers and the Wampanoag tribe for three days of feasting and Thanksgiving in 1621.
[00:27:30] Every year, news outlets and social media are abuzz with these idyllic Thanksgiving themes. There is little coverage of the fact that November is Native American Heritage Month or that the day after Thanksgiving, known to most as Black Friday, is Native American Heritage Day. The mainstream version of Thanksgiving story paints a picture of courageous Christian settlers braving the perils of the New World and, with the help of some friendly Natives, finding a way to make new life for themselves. In the days around Thanksgiving, many educators focus on this happy story, helping students make American Indian headdresses out of construction paper and holding Thanksgiving reenactments in their classrooms. Very few teachers realize that construction headdresses and school reenactments create a generalized stereotype that Native Americans all wear the same regalia. These school activities also encourage young students to think it is okay to wear culture as a costume. This makes it difficult for students to recognize the diversity of Native American tribes and lead students to believe it's okay to mimic Native American traditional wear without having an understanding of its spiritual significance.
[00:28:57] Most children are only taught this belief snapshot in American history, which leaves a frozen memory of peace and generosity. However, in a short time after these Thanksgiving events, circumstances and relationships between the European settlers and the Native American tribes drastically changed. Unfortunately, very few educators have the opportunity to teach students about the massacres of Native tribes like the Pequot which took place in the years that followed. They also do not mention that English settlers robbed Wampanoag graves and stole food from them to survive during their first years on this continent.
[00:29:44] Here's a look at some reasons why Thanksgiving is a complex holiday that all Americans should approach with greater sensitivity. It's important to know that for many Native Americans, Thanksgiving is a day of mourning and protest, since it commemorates the arrival of settlers in North America and the centuries of oppression and genocide that followed.
[00:30:10] Organized by the United American Indians of New England in 1970, the fourth Thursday, November Thanksgiving is recognized as the National Day of Mourning, mourning for Native Americans and their allies.
[00:30:23] Many people gather at Coles Hill in Plymouth for an organized rally and day of mourning on Thanksgiving. Here is what they have to say about this choice to mourn. Quote Thanksgiving Day is a reminder of the genocide of millions of Native people, the theft of Native lands, and the relentless assault on Native culture. Participants in National Day of Mourning honor Native ancestors and the struggles of Native peoples to survive. Today, it is a day of remembrance and spiritual connection, as well as a protest of the racism and oppression which Native Americans continue to experience.
[00:31:06] And while some Native Americans have chosen to reject the Thanksgiving holiday entirely, many embrace the positive messages of the day and choose to put aside thoughts about its complex history. History this is because the idea of giving thanks is central to Native heritage and culture. Yes, you know, wake up every morning, thank the Creator for the day. Thank you for, you know, the roof over my head and the food I have to eat. Every day you give thanks.
[00:31:37] Well, in this way, Thanksgiving thing is simply a chance to appreciate the good things in life like family, community, and the riches of the land. Long before settlers arrived, Native tribes celebrated the autumn harvest and the gift of Mother Earth's abundance. Native American spirituality, traditionally and today, emphasizes gratitude for creation, care for the environment, and recognition of the human need for communion with nature and others.
[00:32:09] Thanksgiving is a holiday as a holiday originates from the Native American philosophy of giving, living without expecting anything in return. In the first celebration of this holiday, the Wampanoag tribe provided not only the food for the feast, but also the teachings of agriculture and hunting. Corn, beans, wild rice, and turkey are some specific examples of food introduced by Native Americans. Now, regardless of the day's complicated origin, many Native Americans will gather with friends and family and use the day to eat good food. Many of the classic Thanksgiving dishes are inspired by indigenous foods and give thanks. And I want to interject here. Tomorrow at the Metil Community center, starting at noon, there will be a Thanksgiving meal. Babette and her crew have been working endlessly for this, and I know you know, a couple hundred people might show up and if you know it's a time for the community to get together, I know know it's hard times for a lot of people. So come out to the mateal and visit with your friends and give thanks.
[00:33:25] To continue.
[00:33:26] Simon Peters, a Wampanoag tribe spokesman, was asked about his views on Thanksgiving and the fact that most people still gather to eat turkey and give thanks. Here's what he had to say. Quote I think it's great. My ancestors had had four harvest festivals throughout the year. Gathering with family, enjoying our company, sharing our blessings, and giving thanks for all that we have is a good thing. I say have more Thanksgiving events throughout the year. I also ask that you take a moment in that day to Remember what happened to my people and the history as it was recorded and not the narrative that we have been given in the history books.
[00:34:08] As we gather this Thanksgiving, we wish the heart hearts of all people, Native and non Native, are filled with hope and healing. Together, let's pledge to dismantle the physical, economic and educational, psychological and spiritual barriers that divide and oppress us. Thanksgiving, the Native American Heritage Day, allows us to reflect on our collective history and celebrate the beauty, strength, strength and resilience of the Native tribes of North America. Remember the generosity of the Wampanoag tribe to the European settlers. Remember the hundreds of thousands of Native Americans who lost their lives because of ignorance and greed, of colonists and genocide experienced by whole tribes. Remember the vibrant and resilient Native descendants, families and communities that persist to this day throughout the culture and the country. And there are many things to give thankful for. I'm thankful for our local tribes that have made a preservation of the ocean right here in Humbleton Del Norte Counties that happened this past week. I'm thankful for the land that's being given back to many nations who have fought so hard for them.
[00:35:25] I'm thankful for who I am and for my family in Ecuador.
[00:35:31] I am thankful.
[00:35:33] Give thanks. We have so many things to be thankful for. This beautiful land that we live on, the beautiful redwood trees. And believe it or not, I think I'm really kind of thankful. My oven broke and I can't cook and but I do have my slow cooker and I'll cook something there because I have to cook something anyway. It's, you know, my family needs to eat. But yes, and remember always, you know, wake up every morning when you wake up. Give thanks.
[00:36:08] Give thanks.
[00:36:10] I'll be back next week.
[00:36:13] This has been a K Mud Podcast to listen to other shows and more episodes of this show. Find us on all the platforms where you get your podcast and also on our website, kmud.org.
