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.

This article was originally published in Real Food Media

Tiffani Patton

November 28, 2019

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:

The Real Thanksgiving Story by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz and our November Real Food Reads author Dina Gilio-Whitaker (Bill Moyers)
The Thanksgiving Tale We Tell Is a Harmful Lie. As a Native American, I’ve Found a Better Way to Celebrate the Holiday by Sean Sherman, author of The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen (Time)
Decolonizing Thanksgiving: A Toolkit for Combating Racism in Schools (Medium)
Don’t Trash Thanksgiving. Decolonize It (Yes! Magazine)
Eight Ways to Decolonize and Honor Native Peoples on Thanksgiving (Cultural Survival)
Sean Sherman’s 10 Essential Native American Recipes (The New York Times)

Tiffani Patton

Tiffani Patton is in charge of Creative Engagement + Storytelling at Real Food Media. A lifelong “foodie” turned activist, Tiffani has been writing and researching food system change for over five years. Particularly motivated by the nexus of race and food, Tiffani is an advocate for just food systems and can be found talking about it with anyone who will listen. She holds an MBA and an MPA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School. She is based in Oakland, CA.

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