Hello Meltingpot Readers,
On episode number one of the My American Meltingpot podcast, I am joined by the brilliant, Dr. Crystal Fleming, author of How to be Less Stupid about Race (Beacon). I invited Crystal to join me to talk about what we’re really celebrating when we celebrate Thanksgiving. Hint: It’s not the blessings of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy.
The Thanksgiving Myth
To begin, we have to get rid of the Thanksgiving myth of the happy Indian helping the pilgrims acclimate to the New World. Europeans committed genocide against the Native American people, stole their land and forced the survivors into inhumane living conditions that continue on in modern times. The so-called “peace treaty” signed by the Wampanoag and the English that Thanksgiving is supposed to memorialize was later used by the English to steal Native land.
“To celebrate Thanksgiving is amoral and unethical.” Crystal said in our podcast. Celebrating European colonization and oppression of native people with this silly story of Thanksgiving is beyond problematic. Still, it’s not surprising that Americans love this holiday. We’ve been trained from our earliest days in school not to think about the Native American perspective in the growth and development of this country. We need Native Americans to remain happy and helpful and firmly rooted in the past. That’s what the Thanksgiving myth does. It keeps us placated and ignorant about what’s really happening in Native American communities.
Well, no more. This is your wakeup call, America. Please have a listen to this episode of the My American Meltingpot podcast and begin your own journey in reframing this most American holiday. Also, you can check out some of these resources mentioned in this episode for further learning.
Resources for Further Learning
The world of Crystal Fleming: Her website. Her book, How to Be Less Stupid about Race, her Twitter handle.
The book Lies My Teacher Taught Me by James Loewen. This book will have you completely rethink what you know about American history. And you may want a refund for your elementary and high school education.
The National Museum of the American Indian. Crystal Fleming suggests this is a good place to begin our self-education.
Crystal Fleming suggested reading more texts by Native American writers and authors. Consider, Dr. Kim Tall Bear or this essay written by Dennis Zotigh that explores, from a Native perspective, how Native Americans recognize Thanksgiving.
Finally, check out this version of Native American Resistance on Thanksgiving.
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What’s Up for Episode #2?
On the next episode of the MAMP podcast, we’ll be talking about racist technology with Meredith Broussard. Sign up for my new MAMP newsletter over in the sidebar for a chance to win a free copy of Broussard’s fascinating new book, Artificial Unintelligence: How Computers Misunderstand the World.
