It is a deep thing that people still celebrate the survival of the early colonists at Plymouth — by giving thanks to the Christian god who supposedly protected and championed the European invasion. The real meaning of all that, then and now, needs to be continually excavated. The myths and lies that surround the past are constantly draped over the horrors and tortures of our present.
Every schoolchild in the United States has been taught that the Pilgrims of the Plymouth Colony invited the local Indians to a major harvest feast after surviving their first bitter year in New England. But the real history of Thanksgiving is a story of the murder of indigenous people and the theft of their land by European colonialists–and of the ruthless ways of capitalism.
This is a fairly long read but it does a pretty nice job detailing the massacre of Native Americans, something we choose to obscenely celebrate each year. Perhaps referring to it as a “massacre” is too kind of a term. Before Europeans came to North America, over 10 million American Indians inhabited the continent. In the 19th century, that population was reduced to under 1 million persons, with over 90% of the original population murdered by the European settlers.
As a result, we openly celebrate one of the darkest aspects of American history: the intentional genocide of Native Americans. Perhaps Thanksgiving is one of your favorite holidays, it is for many, but it’s critical you understand exactly what you’re celebrating.
