Thursday, November 27, 2008

Thanksgiving or Thankstaking?....

I am a notorious skeptic of traditional holidays in general. I am the family member who constantly makes smart remarks about the origins of the holidays we have all gathered to celebrate. As I get older, my tolerance to fight the normal holiday cheer is wearing down. I find myself reducing the holidays down to an excuse to see family, and catch up with your friends. Today, i felt it necessary to send a text out to my personal list of friends that said the following...


On This day reserved for thanks, let us remember the thousands of indigenous people who lost their lives at the hands of brutal colonists. The forefathers and true owners of the land we are blessed to live upon, were systematically erased for the purpose of wealth and greed.

So give thanks that we live in a time when this sentiments can be expressed but always remember the sacrifice of our elders.

Peace.Infinite.
'


Of course, I got all types of responses....funny, intellectual, a couple of people asked if I was okay. It made me think. On this day from now on maybe I should fast to honor the sacrifices and lives lost, in order to make this day in American history. Not as some sort of juvenile protest but a genuine expression of gratitude. Except for my attempts at completing Ramadan, I eat everyday!!! One day, in honor of the Native brothers who were essentially slaughtered, is not a lot to ask. Lets be real, there is no designated day to remember the crimes committed against the indigenous people of America. Instead, America has designed holidays that basically rub those crimes, in the face of all Native people specifically, and all of humanity in general.

So yeah I ate today but I remembered the elders that sacrificed today as well. In particular the Pequot Tribe, who even in the face of inhumane treatment, tried to appeal to the colonists. Peep this document from 1735 where the Tribe appeals to the European colonists an attempt to reach an understanding. 100 years after The Pequot War which, wiped them out. To think the colonists considered the natives savages.....ridiculous.



So before you go saying I'm the scrooge or I'm always tripping about something..at lest take the time to see where some of theses rituals come from.....Gotta go now, I'm full as hell and I think there is some more of that pumpkin cheesecake shit left..YEAHHHHHH!!!!

1 comment:

  1. But the sweet potato casserole is soooooo good. I got the text yesterday and spread the message via text message around the house.....in Mississippi you know I wasn't the most popular person doing that, but I let em know anyway

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