Resources to Decolonize Thanksgiving

From the stories we tell to the foods we eat, let's make a conscious effort to move past harmful sterotypes.

The leaves are changing, we’re swapping out summer clothes for layers upon layers, and you can get pumpkin-spiced everything (from dog food to lattes, capitalism’s got you covered, whether you want it or not). Thanksgiving, or Thankstaking, is a painful reminder to many of what was stolen from them. It is also an opportunity for non-Natives to decolonize holiday traditions and stand in solidarity.

thanksgiving vegetable basket
To many this day is a painful reminder to many of what was stolen from them. It is also an opportunity for non-Natives to decolonize holiday traditions and stand in solidarity. Photo by Anja Bier/PublicDomainPictures.net

“No matter where you are in North America, you are on indigenous land. And so on this holiday, and any day really, I urge people to explore a deeper connection to what are called “American” foods by understanding true Native-American histories, and begin using what grows naturally around us, and to support Native-American growers. There is no need to make Thanksgiving about a false past. It is so much better when it celebrates the beauty of the present.” – Sean Sherman, founder of The Sioux Chef.

Here are some resources to get you started, from the stories we tell to the foods we eat:

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