Thanksgiving And Gratitude, Past And Present

Winchester MA

13 November, 2020

9:13 AM

Description

Press release from the Winchester Public Library: November 12, 2020 On Thanksgiving Day, the myth goes, we remember the "first Thanksgiving," where Pilgrims and Native Americans celebrated a good harvest and shared a meal. But that story is often told in an inaccurate or outright false way, and the history that followed is obscured, such that many families now choose to focus on the "giving thanks" aspect of the holiday rather than the historical one. As educator Debbie Reese (Nambé Pueblo) writes, "Here's the thing. I want teachers, parents, and librarians to consider that a lot of American Indians don't necessarily 'celebrate' Thanksgiving as it is celebrated in the mainstream American holiday scheme…. Native peoples and our cultures were attacked. But we persevered, and many of us have a different view of this holiday…. I want you to see me and Pueblo people (in my case) as a people that existed and exists on its own merits – not as minor characters, or colorful ones, in the story that America tells about America." So below, we have included books about giving thanks and being grateful, books about cooking and sharing meals together, and books by Native American authors, centering Native kids, both historically and in the present. For more #OwnVoices books, check out the American Indian Youth Literature Award. Additional Resources: Books for Littles: Decolonizing Thanksgiving is an Oxymoron Center for Racial Justice in Education: A Racial Justice Guide to Thanksgiving Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) "Talking with Young Children about Race" Nashville Public Library "Tackling Racism in Children's Classics: The Thanksgiving Story" History Smashers: The Mayflower The People Shall Continue When We Were Alone The Sacred Harvest How Food Was Given Ininatig's Gift of Sugar Clambake–a Wampanoag Tradition Four Seasons of Corn 1621 My Heart Fills With Happiness / sâkas... Thukpa for All Feast for 10 Thank You, Omu! Gracias Squanto's Journey Fry Bread Giving Thanks We Are Grateful This press release was produced by the Winchester Public Library. The views expressed are the author's own.