Teaching/Rethinking Thanksgiving

From Teaching Thanksgiving in a Socially Responsible Way by Amanda Morris: 

"School Thanksgiving activities often mean dressing children in “Indian” headdresses and paper feathers as they sing “My Country ’Tis of Thee” or “Mr. Turkey.” Some teachers might even ask their students to draw themselves as Native Americans from the past, complete with feather-adorned headbands and buckskin clothing. These activities might seem friendly and fun, unless you are aware of how damaging this imagery is to perceptions of contemporary Native peoples. This imagery contributes to the indoctrination of American youth into a false narrative that relegates indigenous peoples to the past and turns real human beings into costumes for a few days a year. It’s not just bad pedagogy; it’s socially irresponsible."

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Every year, educators across the country teach their students about the "First Thanksgiving".  Unfortunately, many teaching materials, and most likely the lessons we were exposed to when we were in school, provide an incomplete or inaccurate portrayal of the event - particularly about the Native American participants.  Please take some time this year to reflect on how you talk about the Thanksgiving holiday in your classes and plan to bring a rich learning experience to students.  This holiday presents an opportunity, both to be thankful with our family traditions, and to debunk myths for students and focus on building understanding by investigating historical events through multiple perspectives and viewpoints.  

Think about the ways you can bring Thanksgiving into your classroom in a way the ensures all members of your school community feel respected and valued.  Click on the title above to read the full article by Amanda Morris, which lists a number of resources to use, and review the additional resources below which can help you address Thanksgiving with your students in an appropriate and authentic way.  

Before we can educate our students about this topic, we must take time to educate ourselves.  The following resources provide varied perspectives on the Thanksgiving holiday, both in terms of historical context as well as present-day views.