Should Thanksgiving Continue to be Celebrated?

Alex Giovanni

Everyone knows Thanksgiving as a classic American holiday, but many people don’t give it much attention. It evokes imagery of feasts, turkeys, and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parades. But despite being a seemingly forgettable holiday, it has a very dark past that is largely ignored. 

In school, we are taught that Thanksgiving celebrates a harvest feast in 1621 between the Plymouth colonists and the Native Americans indigenous to the area, the Wampanoag tribe. This shared meal has been honored in history as the “First Thanksgiving”, a peaceful interaction that lasted three days. However, this portrayal is very different from reality. The relationship between Pilgrims and Native Americans—the Wampanoag people included—is one of oppression and cruelty. When the Pilgrims first arrived on the Mayflower, the Wampanoag tribe had already been trading with Europeans for a century beforehand, and diplomatically welcomed the settlers. But the number of Pilgrims in Plymouth grew, they needed more land, and instead of finding their own territory, they betrayed the Native’s hospitality and turned against them. They enslaved many members of the tribe and massacred entire villages. Diseases were spread by the settlers and decimated Native populations, as they had never been exposed to them before. As the years went on, these same atrocities were committed unto other indigenous tribes, giving way to a history of war and brutality as colonists believed they were right to attack the “barbaric” people, when in reality they were the uncivilized ones. 

The origin of Thanksgiving as a national holiday is wrongly represented as well. It was established by President Abraham Lincoln in November of 1863, during the Civil War, to create a sense of community between them and the Native Americans. But this was after the Dakota War of 1862, a conflict caused by broken treaties, ongoing tensions, and starvation experienced by the members of the Dakota Tribe, part of the Sioux Nation. When members of the tribe finally fought back, the Dakota War began. At its end, President Lincoln ordered the hanging of 38 Dakota men—and the creation of Thanksgiving. It was almost like an apology for everything that had happened, but a national holiday is not enough to fix the 400 years of prior and ensuing cruelty, especially as it became propaganda that was taught to children for decades. And it is just one example of the erasure of Native American struggles and culture that has been happening ever since the Europeans arrived and claimed this land as their own. Paintings that heavily romanticized the colonist and indigenous relationships, teachings in schools that enforced stereotypes, portrayals of colonists as superior, all were heavily prevalent for years. Even now, as people are beginning to really acknowledge the truth, it is still unknown by many US citizens. 

So, with all of this knowledge, should Thanksgiving still be a national holiday? If it’s going to continue as one, it is clear that changes need to be made. Lots of families are either oblivious to the history, or ignore it and celebrate by focusing on family traditions, gratitude, and the cherished values associated with the holiday. However, this ignorance only adds to the continuous erasure of the truth. What Thanksgiving could be instead is a time to educate ourselves about what really happened, to learn more about how the colonists and the indigenous people interacted, rather than the whitewashed version of the truth that has existed for so long. It can be a time to learn about Native American culture, too, and the lives of the tribes prior to European entrance. Rather than ignoring the past, we can embrace it and move forward. Schools should teach indigenous history, too, as it is still largely lacking in most curriculum. Fortunately, this shift is already in motion across the US, and changes are being made to amend this harmful holiday. The transition of Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day was a great start as well, but as that is currently debated, there is still a long way to go. We cannot fix our history, but we can learn from it, and we can amend Thanksgiving to become an opportunity to do so. Family traditions can still continue, but not in ignorance. 

This year, take some time to research Native Americans in our area. Look into New Hampshire’s indigenous history. There are lots of surrounding historical sights you can visit, too. You don’t have to abolish Thanksgiving celebrations completely, but you can educate yourself, and others. These are important steps to take if we wish to move past the harmful Thanksgiving narrative. And at the very least, you’ve read this article! I hope this has helped increase your awareness of the holiday and that you’ll keep the knowledge with you, however you spend the 27th this year. 

Works Cited

Citizen Potawatomi Nation. “The true, dark history of Thanksgiving - Potawatomi.org.” Citizen Potawatomi Nation, 25 November 2020, https://www.potawatomi.org/blog/2020/11/25/the-true-dark-history-of-thanksgiving/. Accessed 6 November 2025.

Goade, Michaela. “Rethinking Thanksgiving Celebrations: Native Perspectives on Thanksgiving | Helpful Handout Educator Resource.” National Museum of the American Indian, 2025, https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/informational/rethinking-thanksgiving. Accessed 6 November 2025.