The Backstory: A Native American Thanksgiving

Many of us see Thanksgiving, most importantly, as a day to express gratitude. But gratitude is a universal expression of appreciation for our lives and our experiences. What’s amazing is how many Native Americans also celebrate gratitude on that day . . even though for them, it’s also a National Day of Mourning. But . . they still believe everyday is a day to give thanks. This is a peek into another perspective.

This story was suggested by Backstory listener Mark Chambers from Midlothian Virginia. Feel free to DM me if you have a story you’d like me to cover . . on Facebook it’s Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Last year, a backstory listener said he would love to
hear another take on Thanksgiving. Mark Chambers from mid Lothian,
Virginia suggested this story, and I think it's worth revisiting.
Here's the thing. Thanksgiving is not just an American expression
of appreciation for what we've been given. Gratitude is universal.

(00:20):
For Native Americans. Thanksgiving is understandably a national day of mourning,
but it's also a day of giving thanks. How do
they express that? It's a little bit complicated. I'm Patty
Steele understanding the Native American perspective when it comes to Thanksgiving.
That's next on the backstory. The backstory is back. We've

(00:46):
all just celebrated Thanksgiving, a day to celebrate gratitude. But
backstory listener Mark Chambers from mid Lothian and Virginia had
an idea for a follow up episode to our Thanksgiving story.
Thank you, Mark. Of Americans, Thanksgiving is a day to
give thanks, but for many it's also considered a national
day of mourning. They mourn what was lost when Europeans

(01:09):
discovered I say that with air quotes their land and
these completely different cultures came together. It's a story that's
been romanticized over these four hundred years, and the beginnings
aren't really as romantic as we think. The Friday following
Thanksgiving is Native American Heritage Day, so it's really important

(01:30):
to remember that North America and for that matter, South
America weren't just vast empty land masses when Europeans arrived.
North America alone was home to somewhere between five and
ten million Native Americans, hard to tell with so many
different tribes. By the way, the English settlers who arrived
in sixteen twenty weren't actually called pilgrims until the mid

(01:52):
eighteen hundreds, over two hundred years after their arrival here.
But by the time they did arrive, the presence of
Europeans was already having a disastrous effect on the Native
American population, introducing illnesses like smallpox to tribes they interacted with,
and it was really disastrous to the Native way of life.

(02:13):
Now here's the thing. The concept of land ownership just
wasn't part of their culture, and it was totally part
of European culture. So right there you kind of see
room for misunderstanding on both sides. Native Americans had tribal
hunting grounds, but that was not the same as land ownership.
Some of them were welcoming to the newcomers, believing that

(02:35):
they were simply allowing them to share the land, which
they believed made good political sense in dealing with these
new people. But the Europeans believed they were taking the
land either for nothing or just a pittance when it
came to the financial aspects. Can you imagine what it
must feel like to have two completely different perspectives about
something so important to how you and your people live

(02:58):
your life today. A lot of Native Americans see Thanksgiving
as a painful reminder of the colonization and displacement that
followed the arrival of Europeans, and a lot of these
tribal communities see Thanksgiving as a day to acknowledge that
painful history and remember their ancestors. Some actually prefer not

(03:20):
to even recognize the day at all, but it's really
nuanced from individual to individual. Some choose to embrace the
positive messages of the day while remembering its complex history.
Why because the idea of giving thanks is central to
Native American heritage and culture. In fact, long before settlers
got here, tribes celebrated the autumn harvest and Mother Earth's

(03:44):
abundance with days of thanksgiving and gratitude. Native American spirituality
celebrates gratitude for creation, protecting the environment, and also recognizing
the human need to commune with nature. Thanksgiving as a
holiday actually originates from the Native American belief in giving

(04:05):
without expecting anything in return. Back in sixteen twenty one,
for the first celebration, the Wampa Noag tribe not only
brought the food, but also teachings about agriculture and hunting
in this new land. Things like corn beans, wild rice,
and turkey were all introduced to the settlers by Native Americans. Sadly,

(04:27):
just fifteen years later, as many as seven hundred Natives
were massacred by Europeans and warriors from other tribes who
are allied with the settlers. So how do Native Americans
look at Thanksgiving now? They remember their ancestors, and despite
the day's complex origin, a lot of Natives get together
with friends and family to eat good food and to

(04:49):
give thanks and I love this. Some go to the
Thanksgiving Indigenous People's Sunrise Ceremony before daybreak on Alcatraz Island
in San Francisco. There they honor the strength, resilience and
cultural heritage of indigenous peoples around the world. What an
amazing way to celebrate the day. Stephen Peters, a Wampa

(05:12):
Noagg tribe spokesman, explains his views on Thanksgiving and has
this to say. My ancestors had four harvest festivals throughout
the year. Gathering with family, enjoying our company, sharing our blessings,
and giving thanks is a good thing. I say have
more Thanksgiving events throughout the year, but I also ask

(05:33):
that you take a moment at this time to remember
what happened to my people and the history as it
was recorded and not the narrative that we've been given
in the history books. So that perspective is not about blame,
but about appreciating and learning from this complicated story. It's
about understanding the beauty of our differences, which will help

(05:55):
us break down the barriers that divide us. And it's
also about taking a deeper lookook at the many rich
lessons we can all learn from the Native American ability
to live with and protect the amazing land and resources
that we share. Again, I want to thank listener Mark
Chambers from mid Lothian, Virginia for suggesting this story. Thank you, Mark.

(06:17):
It's a beautiful thing. To appreciate our differences and our similarities.
Hope you like the Backstory with Patty Steele. I would
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dm me if you have a story you'd like me
to cover. On Facebook, It's Patty Steele and on Instagram
Real Patty Steele. I'm Patty Steele. The Backstories a production

(06:45):
of iHeartMedia, Premieer Networks, the Elvis Durand Group, and Steel
Trap Productions. Our producer is Doug Fraser. Our writer Jake Kushner.
We have new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Feel free
to reach out to me with comments and even story
suggestions on Instagram at Real Patty Steele and on Facebook
at Patty Steele. Thanks for listening to the Backstory with

(07:07):
Patty Steele. The pieces of history you didn't know you
needed to know.