Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. It still is, because in modern times at it’s core it is about giving thanks, but that doesn’t mean that we should forget the origins of this American holiday tradition.
The origins of Thanksgiving are something many Americans take for granted. In my childhood history lessons, I learned that the pilgrims, the first settlers from the Mayflower, initiated this tradition by feasting with indigenous people–it was portrayed as a peaceful coming together of two cultures. Â Historians and archeologists tell a slightly different story. The first thanksgiving gathering was likely initiated by indigenous people who far outnumbered the English settlers at the feast. There were 90 indigenous participants, and only about 40 pilgrims. Paintings always depict a small gathering of mostly pilgrims feeding a few partially clad native people sitting on the ground. The Pilgrims in these depictions are a mix of men and women and children.
The first thanksgiving feast is now thought to have been where men (women and children cooked) gathered in peace talks that ultimately resulted in a peace treaty between natives and settlers that would last 75 years. Native peoples were right to fear European settlers, their muskets, and the diseases they brought decimated their ways of life. Today, many Native Americans consider our Thanksgiving day, a National Day of Mourning.
We should never forget the genocide that allowed our country to emerge, and we need to make sure that injustices like those suffered by Native Americans do not ever find their way to our country again. We need to maintain vigilance against the rise of facism and the ideologies of white supremacy. I find myself mourning with my native brothers and sisters.
This year has been challenging for the whole world for so many different reasons–climate change (terrible storms, droughts, and fires wrought by it), political strife (the tearing apart of families, expressions of hatred, rampant racism, and general social unrest), and not least, the COVID-19 pandemic (which has had a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable, and brought poverty and hunger to many in the world). And yet, this Thanksgiving, I find much to be grateful for, and feel a need to express my gratitude.
I am grateful for my family. For me, family extends beyond blood kin, as I suspect it does for most people.
I give thanks for ken–his love, devotion, and steadfast support over the last 34 years. And of course for his magnificent cooking and gardening! Oh, and did I mention his sense of humor?
I give thanks for Zoë, my firstborn–for the joy she brings into my life, her wisdom, her kindness, her daily help and support. Oh, and did I mention her sense of humor?
I give thanks for Søren, my youngest–for his devotion to those he loves, his social consciousness. He stands up against injustice, and leads an exemplary life. Oh, and did I mention his sense of humor?
I give thanks for my mother–the matriarch of our clan. Without her sacrifices none of my life as I know it would have been possible. Definitely thank her for transmitting a sense of humor.
I give thanks for my siblings, Michael, Kevin, Liz, and Peter. Without them, I would be fighting all of my battles alone. And, yes, they all make me laugh. The pandemic and the election would have been insufferable if it weren’t for our weekly family calls.
I give thanks for Judy–she is one of the pillars of my life and is a steadfast supporter of my creative efforts, and the efforts of my mother. She makes things happen. She has been a devoted friend to our entire family.
I give thanks for my cousin Garth–he is truly one of the most generous and kind people I know. I am grateful for our renewed friendship through music, and that he joins in our weekly family calls.
I give thanks for my mirthful sisters, Marita, Jean, Sara, Lisa, Valeriya, Sherry and Sarah who have been with me all the way. We have had some wonderful adventures together in this life.
I give thanks for my neighbor, Ginger, one of the most kind and caring people I know. She always thinks of others, and even though I can be quite introverted she forces me out of my cave into the daylight sometimes.
I give thanks for my music teachers, Tim, Linda, and Greg. They don’t make me feel stupid, and they listen to my emerging musical self.
I give thanks to my jam mates, Sharon, Greg, Laura, Niel, Hannah, Matt, Melissa, and Rob. Without you, I would be tuneless instead of just off-key. Also, you guys make me laugh.
Other things I give thanks for in no particular order: music, fantastic neighbors, living on this beautiful earth, shelter, nourishment, health, the Internet (in spite of its flaws, it has made it possible for me to reconnect with so many people that were lost to me).
And now, I give thanks for you and to you.
Happy Thanksgiving!
