Some traditions need to be broken. You may disagree with me but Thanksgiving is one of them. At least in the sense of how and why the day is celebrated. I mean, do we really believe the Wampanoag people had a three day celebration of feasting on harvested crops while dancing with the English colonists in 1621, or have we been following the
US narrative without questioning it?
My earliest recollection of decolonizing the elementary school teachings of the first Thanksgiving is from the time my 6th grade class broke into a paper mache food fight on stage during our pageant. Half the class was made up as Pilgrims and the other as
Indians. That was during the politcally incorrect 1960's. It also coincided with the birth of the
Chicano movement where us children were becoming aware of the untruths we were being fed. We were part of the Reading, Writing and Assimilation generation and many of us were breaking free from the hyphonated identity of Mexican-American. In doing so we began tapping into our ancestral roots and origins on this land now bearing the red, white and blue flag.
Over the last two decades, since the passing of my father, I have spent numerous Thanksgivings
alone or had a post turkey day dinner at Clifton's. My first solo turkey dinner was intentionally bad. I bought food pantry-style instant everything and set the table for one. Each mournful mouthful of the bland processed offerings were tough to swallow. Much as I tried, I couldn't get any of it past the lump in my throat. Thanksgiving, and all holidays/birthdays were a big deal in my family only because my father made sure we celebrated together. All that died with him. My father also had the ability to quit drinking and smoking cold turkey so I decided to honor that as tradition instead.
The Norman Rockwell / Hallmark / All-American turkey feast isn't a one-size fits all sort of holiday. Family dynamics have changed dramatically over the decades as well. Far more households are broken and splintered off in a multitude of directions. Estranged family members have taken to celebrating Friendsgiving. Vegans have altered the menu by introducing Tofurkey in a gelatinous form for decades now. So why not accept the fact that the origins of the holiday is far more offensive to a good majority of Americans than the disgust non meat eaters feel or the tugging at the heart of the alienated and univited.
Thankstaking stems from the 1970's Native American call for a National Day of Mourning in place of Thanksgiving. The momentum has built over the years through grassroots organizations forcused on Indigenous identity and
decolonization. My involvement with the 1990's Chicano Arts resurgence in Los Angeles brought new awarenesses to the forefront with the rising Mexica movement. Still, it took time for me to break free from the tradional feast I knew by serving dishes that are more palatable to my growing consciousness.
Decolonizing Thanksgiving need not be thought of as some radical act aimed to distroy the family structure in America nor should it be considered part of the feared cancel culture propaganda. Think of it as a healing process, for all. Introducing cultural cuisine into the Thankgiving dinner menu is nothing new. It's more about rethinking the thanks we've been told to give and to whom.
