Thanksgiving Day/The Day of Mourning

First of all, I'm of the opinion that being thankful makes people consume less, not more.

The real story of thanksgiving is not nearly as pretty as our traditions would have us believe, but we have an opportunity before us to change that,

The real story of Thanksgiving involves a war between the white settlers and the resident tribal people, the Pequot. The biggest Pequot settlement was surprised, and 500-600 people were massacred, Many were burned alive. Sadly, the Puritans were a driving force behind this attack; these individuals viewed the native peoples as "infidels"much like ISIS leaders might view mom-Muslims right now. Those who fled or surrendered were killed, or sold into slavery. Only a few Pequots remained. The first celebration of Thanksgiving was, unfortunately, thanking Jehovah and Jesus for the successful completion of this atrocity. Obviously, Jesus was not pleased with this, but that is what was thought.
The National Day of Mourning, celebrated by American Indians and their allies on Thanksgiving Day, is not celebrated by its founders as an anti-Thanksgiving Day event. It actually functions much the way we are told - inaccurately - that the original Thanksgiving event did.  It celebrates diversity of cultures, including but not limited to American Indians. The event brings cultures together and serves a great deal of food, prepared and served by volunteers, In 2014, 400-500 people were served. The event does offer thanks for what we have now, and has multiple purposes. First of all, it raises awareness of what really happened, and remembers the victims of the American Holocaust. It also brings attention to current hardships facing American Indians today, including an astronomically high youth suicide rate, abnormally high rates of diabetes and poverty and inaccessibility of medical care.

The reality of our ancestors' greed is an ugly thing, and it needs to be confronted and corrected. The National day of Mourning both shows us the unpleasant truth of our past, and offers us a chance to move forward. It is an opportunity to start making new history the way we really wanted the old history to be.
A 21st century count numbers the Pequot at about 3000. Four-hundred years time has allowed this population to begin to recover. In the same way, our nation can recover from centuries of lies. and the ugly repressed truth of our beginnings. The restoration offered by The National Day of Mourning gives us a chance to make the future hopeful for the Pequot and other tribes. It also offers us a chance to put the shame of our past, and the temptation to keep hiding from the truth, behind us.

Cross Castle also supports the Lakotah Oyate, which means "Republic of Lakotah" in Lakotah.

Godspeed

~Mother Star