Celebrating Native American Heritage

This article problematizes the commemoration of the quadricentennial of the landing of the Pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 by focusing on the important interventions of Indigenous public historians and intellectuals. Their work on the digital and physical exhibit "Our" Story: 400 Years of Wampanoag History upends the national origin story anchored in the Plymouth commemorative landscape that erases Indigenous perspective and sanitizes a deeply conflictual history. The collective impact of their work challenges the timeline on which the quadricentennial is premised, insists on a reckoning with a longer and more violent history of settler colonialism, and emphasizes Wampanoag resilience and survival.

There are always two sides to a story. Unfortunately, when it comes to the history of Thanksgiving, generations of Americans have been taught a one-sided history in homes and schools.

There are many different experiences we will have over Thanksgiving - some of us will have lots of food, some of us will struggle to have enough. Some will be surrounded by people and some will be alone or with just one other person. For many, it’s an important time of coming together with family. This day also gives us a chance to look at and change stories we have about our families and ourselves. Thanksgiving is based on myths that hide and erase the genocide that the United States is founded upon. What would it mean to tell a different story; an honest story?

On the 350 year anniversary of the "First Thanksgiving," Frank "Wasmutta" James (Wampanoag) was invited to speak at this "celebration" but was directed to not give the speech he intended to deliver. The United American Indians of New England (UAINE) recall the event as such,

"Three hundred fifty years after the Pilgrims began their invasion of the land of the Wampanoag, their "American" descendants planned an anniversary celebration. Still clinging to the white schoolbook myth of friendly relations between their forefathers and the Wampanoag, the anniversary planners thought it would be nice to have an Indian make an appreciative and complimentary speech at their state dinner. Frank James was asked to speak at the celebration. He accepted. The planners, however , asked to see his speech in advance of the occasion, and it turned out that Frank James' views — based on history rather than mythology — were not what the Pilgrims' descendants wanted to hear. Frank James refused to deliver a speech written by a public relations person."

Sean Sherman is the founder and CEO of The Sioux Chef and the author of The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen, which won the 2018 James Beard Award for best American cookbook.

News from Native California is a quarterly magazine devoted to the vibrant cultures, arts, languages, histories, social justice movements, and stories of California’s diverse Indian peoples. We strive to preserve the cherished knowledge of an older generation, provide opportunities for a younger generation making a place for Indian ways in the modern world, and illuminate the beauty of Native cultures to all of California.