Thanksgiving is an American holiday

It is said that the victors are the ones who write history. In most schools across the country, this is a fact. A tradition is passed down, that of benevolent “Indians” helping the Englishmen survive the winter. Thus, a harmonious celebration was born.

However, Native Americans history is very different than the whitewashed version taught in school.

They have watched as their land was taken from them, either by force or by treaties, which were then broken. In return, they were given pockets known as reservations, sometimes land considered worthless by the European settlers.

If they did not willingly relocate, they were sent on a forced march thousands of miles from their home to designated “Indian territory” imposed by a federal government. The Trail of Tears was just another example of a white man breaking his word.

Native Americans have been fighting for more than 200 years for the right to maintain their customs and be their own people. Given than reality, it would be hard to fault them if they thought that the head of Wampanoag nation should have left the Plymouth colonists alone to starve.

Last year’s events at Standing Rock only served to highlight the battle they face for survival of their customs and their land.

Granted, there are tribes that have accepted, even embraced the Thanksgiving holiday. There are two tribes within 50 miles Pierce College that operate casinos. They will be among others around the country that will serve the traditional turkey and ham dinners on Thanksgiving Day.

They recognize the reality in which they live, that history cannot be rewritten. Some, like the Navajo, have managed to find a way to coexist with their neighboring white man. They are part of the local Thanksgiving Day parade and will set up tables to sell their wares to passersbys.

They still hold out hands to welcome those who would come to visit. The native American, has always held hospitality to be a commendable and necessary trait. Even as their homeland and culture shrinks, they continue to hold that man, if he truly recognized what it means to be part of a community, he would come to the table in fellowship.