Historian Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz on Thanksgiving: "It Has Never Been About Honoring Native Americans"

As the U.S. celebrates Thanksgiving, many Native Americans observe the 47th National Day of Mourning in Plymouth. This year, it's dedicated to water protectors at Standing Rock and the fight for Indigenous Peoples' Day.

Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz argues that Thanksgiving has never been about honoring Native Americans but rather serves as an origin story for the U.S. marked by genocide, dispossession, and constant warfare, dating back to 1607 Jamestown.

Dunbar-Ortiz highlights a calendar of holidays that perpetuate colonial myths, including Columbus Day, Thanksgiving (a fabricated story of welcome), Presidents' Day (honoring slave-owning 'Indian Killers' like George Washington), and July 4th, which she calls 'the most tragic event in world history' for establishing a genocidal regime under the guise of democracy.

Abraham Lincoln introduced Thanksgiving during the Civil War as a day for families to gather and be grateful, with no mention of pilgrims or Native Americans. Dunbar-Ortiz suggests this original intent of family and gratitude is appropriate, but the Native American and Puritan narrative should be removed for it to be a legitimate holiday.

Dunbar-Ortiz supports the long-standing protest at Plymouth against the 'lie of Plymouth Rock,' the Mayflower, and the pilgrims. She asserts that 'Americanism' is inherently white supremacy and must be deconstructed and confronted for any meaningful social change to occur.