i'm a bummer on thanxgiving..............

i do semi-celebrate today with a nice dinner, a handful of friends and family.
but, besides the usual thanx part, what else does thanxgiving mean?
i'd like to point out that it was the beginning of a long history of genocide towards the natives of this land.
not that i want to bum out anyone's holiday, but i think this is an important subject to discuss.

reply to post by rubbertramp


Heres a thread by Ahabstar explaining Thanksgiving Day Explaining another odd American Holiday: Thanksgiving. Hope that helps you.

Actually, many different Native American cultures had celebrations giving thanks for the harvest, hunt, and fishing.

Long before Governor Winthrop of the Massachusetts Bay Colony proclaimed the first Thanksgiving, Native Americans of North America had harvest celebrations for centuries, praising the “Earth Mother” who bestowed upon them herds for hunting, aquatic bodies for fishing, and plentiful crops for harvesting. Although these harvest celebrations differed for each tribe across North America, there was still a common belief amongst Native Americans that a “spiritual” being or force had blessed them with life and longevity.

Source

The Pilgrims were merely late-comers to this tradition and were most likely invited to one such feast.

Originally posted by Sheol
reply to post by rubbertramp

 

Heres a thread by Ahabstar explaining Thanksgiving Day Explaining another odd American Holiday: Thanksgiving. Hope that helps you.

just wondering, i'm quite familiar with that version of history.
how is that supposed to help me?

Originally posted by rubbertramp

i'd like to point out that it was the beginning of a long history of genocide towards the natives of this land.
not that i want to bum out anyone's holiday, but i think this is an important subject to discuss.

It is sad that we moved in on the land, and then continued to treat them like their culture was all wrong. Basically, our ancestors tried to turn them into white christians. Not enough respect was shown.

I, for one, am glad they have managed to retain as much of their old ways as they have.