A Tradition More American than Apple Pie
Recently, I reflected on an experience that I had in my final year of high school. I had the opportunity to study abroad and spent a semester living in Buenos Aires. The town that I lived in, Pigue, was south and far from the neighboring country Brazil which was the home of most of the people of African descent living in Argentina. As a result, I was the first black person that many of the residents of Pigue met. The weight of this didn’t settle in when my abuelas kissed me randomly, or when children asked to touch my trenzas. But I fully understood the weight of this when after much time in her home, my host mother, an educated, kind woman, asked me if it was true that all black people steal. Prior to meeting me, the only perspective about black people was gleaned from the media.
The images that we use to represent people and groups matter.
This critical matter is on my mind and heart as we enter this week of Thanksgiving. In schools, well intended instructors will engage in seasonal celebrations by decorating mock native headdresses with paper feathers. Students are often subjected to the revised historical version of the origins of this holiday. The story shared is one of harmony, often negating the long and bloody conflict that existed between imperialist or “settlers” and the people who were indigenous to this land. The imagery used in explanations to children relegate Native Americans to the past, and implicitly suggests that they were the beneficiary of the more civilized ways of those who arrived and demanded possession of their land.
The outdated images used to represent indigenous people and groups are socially irresponsible.
As educators, we are tasked with preparing our learners for civic leadership. With this responsibility comes advocacy, policy making, and contributions to decisions about resource allocation. If this generation matriculates into adulthood with an outdated and antiquated context for Native Americans, we have failed. We must create an understanding of indigenous people as both current and capable. The next generation must also understand the role that systemic oppression has played in the plight of America’s original inhabitants and many other people groups to follow. The children of today are our leaders of tomorrow and without a proper understanding of the systems that need to be reconstructed-from damaging imagery to over-criminalization - we can anticipate that history will repeat itself.
Here are some questions to engage leaners in building allyship.
Why are imperialists referred to as “settlers” in history books? How might the Native Americans have felt about the foreigners arriving?
Who do you think benefits from the popular understanding of Thanksgiving that emphasizes peace and harmony?
What are the harmful outcomes of a revised historical perspective? How do you think the original settlers felt about the value of the Native American?
How does a deeply embedded sense of superiority impact indigenous people today?
These are the types of questions that my parents asked me from as early as I can recall. We had great and spirited debates, mostly because I questioned how they could have more insight than authors of history books or the media sources that covered apartheid in South Africa which was the global headline of my youth. These conversations taught me to think critically about information presented to me. What an amazing gift to pass on to the children in your care, whether in the classroom or around the dinner table. I am beginning these types of dialogs with my 8-year-old, admittedly, with far less grace than my parents who had no training in pedagogy.
Lest the question linger, no, not all black people steal. The evidence that this question may require a response is that a revised, palatable, fictitious Thanksgiving story is still being shared by the masses. To further state the obvious, Native Americans did not benefit from the civilization offered by the Europeans who came and violently acquired their land. They, as well as many people groups, are negatively impacted by years of oppression that accompanied the early "explorers" and conquistadors.
On Thanksgiving, my very large extended family, all share what has caused them gratitude before we pray and dine together. This tradition includes every family member and guest who is old enough to speak; we rarely make it more than halfway around the circle before tears begin to stain faces. Most frequently, we share the impact of our loved ones who became ancestors during the year, and appreciation for our elders. My mother is officially the matriarch of our blended family, having lost 100-year-old "Grandma Edna" who was not my grandmother but regarded as such by all. With my mother's blessing, this year, I plan to add a book that was recently recommended to give the youth context about the holiday called If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving by Chris Newell. The book shares the story of Thanksgiving from an indigenous-centric perspective. This year, I am deeply grateful for perspective and the opportunity to amplify silenced voices.
Historians have acknowledged that many Native Americans enjoyed “a rich tradition of commemorating fall harvest…long before Europeans set foot on America’s shores.” As we embark on this season of merriment and abundance, know that you are reclaiming a tradition that is actually more American than apple pie.