For all of my life, I’ve had 2 favorite holidays – 4th of July (Independence Day) and Thanksgiving. These holidays are uniquely American and are not celebrated only by those of specific religions. They involve gathering with friends and family and eating and drinking and NOT buying presents. But as I grow older and more aware of America’s ugly history, I’ve had a harder and harder time ‘celebrating’ events that caused so much suffering for the land that many of our ancestors stole.
The advice above comes from the Smithsonian and it looks nothing like what was taught when I was in school. I don’t blame the individual teachers – I’m sure that their intentions were good. But I do recognize that much of the curriculum that was taught to me as a child is the cause of so much of the polarization that we see today. We can be patriotic without being nationalistic. We don’t have to salute a flag. We don’t have to believe that America is the best country in the world. We can love America and being American enough to want to make this country a better place, one that is truly equitable for all.
Many of us don’t know what to do, so we do nothing. The reality is that most of us will not singlehandedly change the world. But each of us can take small actions to make the world better. We can all learn about who lived on the land where we currently reside using this website. You can then choose to learn more, like I have via this website. After learning, there are other possibilities such as:
*buying their goods
*donating to their causes
*following their social media
*acknowledging them as a people and supporting charitable causes that promote equity and resources
It’s a start. Quite honestly, I am not ready to give up my holidays and traditions. I don’t believe that makes me a horrible person. But I am ready to learn and to acknowledge and appreciate the natives that lived on this land that I call home. It’s a start…
