Giving Thanks
For many Americans, the celebration of Thanksgiving is complicated and full of paradoxes. On the one hand, Thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude for the harvest season and for having food and shelter, and a time to come together with family and friends to appreciate each other's company and health. It's a time for generosity and understanding. It's a warm and cozy celebration of togetherness in the midst of the world's craziness. On the other hand, however, the holiday seems unjustified when considering our past and the events that led us here. Although we like to think of Thanksgiving as a peaceful time of good company and good food, it also unfortunately represents the large-scale genocide of Native people on this land, the tragedy and warfare that tarnished America's beginnings, and the disagreements that people have always had because of cultural differences. It makes me stop and wonder, for what are we giving thanks? Awareness of cult...