Dark History of Thanksgiving and 1637 Massacre True Story

Native Americans do not celebrate Thanksgiving as everyone else. On the contrary, they mourn on this day.

According to Smithsonian Magazine, native Americans gather at Plymouth Rock on Cole’s Hill every year on the day of thanksgiving to mourn the genocide committed by the early European settlers and their several-generation descendants. 

However, some native Americans get together with their family and friends and share a large meal together but do not think of the meal as Thanksgiving. They just take advantage of getting together with their loved ones and spending quality time together. 

Dennis Zotigh, a writer for Smithsonian Magazine remembers how wrong and ignorant was of his teachers at his primary school to instruct kids to bring feathers and brown sacks for making native American costumes for thanksgiving during his school years. He argues teachers have implanted negative images in young children's minds by decorating thanksgiving as a happy holiday and adds these are shared thoughts of many native parents. 

What Did Pilgrims Do To Natives On Thanksgiving?

Pilgrims robbed corn and food from the natives as soon as they arrive the territories. Some say they killed the natives either from the disease they brought or from the direct deed.

But historical books teaches us that Pilgrims of Plymouth gathered for a feast with the Wampanoag people, which was later dubbed the first thanksgiving. 

Several sources and people argue the decorated tale of the thanksgiving feast, which allegedly lasted for three days, omits all the violence committed by pilgrims towards the several tribes that made the Wampanoag confederation. One such instance is Dennis Zotigh's essay in Smithsonian Magazine.

Massachusetts Colony Governor John Winthrop massacred over 700 people of the Pequot tribe and captured hundreds of more women and children as slaves before declaring a day of thanksgiving for the volunteers who helped during the violence according to Delish. This is also the first time thanksgiving was official mention of thanksgiving. 

In the centuries that followed, more European settlers swarmed New England and killed hundreds of thousands of natives in an attempt to ascertain their dominance over the land. Some native people claim the settlement was genocide against their ancestors. 

Why Is Thanksgiving Bad?

Thanksgiving is often considered a beautifully decorated bad history because of how the pilgrims used violence against natives to colonize the land.

As the well-known tale of thanksgiving is about pilgrims feasting for three days with the Wampanoag people, many people now argue that violence was omitted in the tale. 

While the majority of American families gather around their dining table to have a feast with their families and friends while extending their thanks to everyone, some native or indigenous view the holiday as a celebration of genocide and racial dominance that lasted for centuries against their ancestors. 

The idea of celebrating thanksgiving is bad due to the mascara of hundreds of thousands of native people by the pilgrims and other European settlers who first feasted with Wampanoag people, starting the tradition of feasting on Thanksgiving in the first place. 

Is Thanksgiving Offensive To Indigenous People?

Indigenous people might be offended as it reminds them of the oppression and genocide committed against their ancestors every year on Thanksgiving. 

According to Indianapolis Public Library, Indigenous people remember the day of thanksgiving as the day of mourning and gather in Plymouth Rock to mourn together. They also protest the oppression and racism they have faced ever since the arrival of the first foreign settlers. 

However, many others have different beliefs about celebrating Thanksgiving. However, they do not celebrate the day as the holiday of thanksgiving but take the opportunity to gather with family and friends and share meaningful food together. 

There are various answers on whether indigenous or native American people are offended by the holiday or not. Everyone has their own experience and their own perspective on viewing the holiday and relating it with the shared American history. In short, getting offended varies from person to person or family to family.