THOUGHTS ON THANKSGIVING

Every year I write a special note regarding Thanksgiving. I think it is always good to examine our national myths as well as our national realities. My thoughts regarding America's foundation myths (Thanksgiving and Columbus Day) have been recently affected both by my realization that my own family never would have survived had America not existed as a haven, and by the realization, reading about King Leopold II of Belgium's genocidal regime in the Congo, that the effects of colonialism on the natives of a nation for centuries after that colonial regime ends.

First off, one thing that Americans seldom consider is that Thanksgiving is an ambiguous holiday when viewed objectively. I, like most of us, love Thanksgiving because it is essentially our main feasting holiday, the day we all get together with friends and eat as much good food as we can stuff into our bloated bellies. But Thanksgiving, like Columbus Day, has two basic messages beyond the excuse to eat lots of food. The first, and most commonly recognized, meaning is a celebration of key events that led to our nation’s founding. We celebrate those who made our life today possible. Many of us have a particular reason to celebrate these holidays because without the founding of the United States, our families would not exist. I come from a family whose roots go back to Jewish communities in Germany and Lativia. We came to the United States early in the 1900’s, escaping one of many waves of anti-Jewish attacks in Europe. We came to the US and succeeded. Those of my family who remained in Germany or Latvia would almost certainly not have survived World War II. German and Latvian Jews were largely exterminated in the Holocaust. So in a very real way, I owe my life to the events celebrated (in almost mythical form) on Columbus Day and Thanksgiving. Without these events, the United States may never have been founded and my family may have had no place to go and we would have been exterminated. These holidays represent the opportunity given many of our families to find better, safer lives apart from the Old World prejudices.

But there is another side to the events celebrated on Columbus Day and Thanksgiving. For those descended from slaves or from Native Americans, these days represent the beginning and continuation of some of the most horrible series of events in World History. The spread and elaboration of slavery and the decimation of the Native American populations were also outcomes of the events celebrated on Columbus Day and Thanksgiving. These holidays represent BOTH the opportunities offered many of our families to survive and better our conditions, AND the horrors of slavery and genocide. We cannot deny either side of these holidays. Both sides are factual and are important.

But there is really a third side of Thanksgiving and that third side is the genuine intended meaning of the holiday. The holiday may commemorate vaguely real events from the 1600's, but it really dates from 1863 when Abraham Lincoln initiated a holiday in an attempt to reunify and reinspire Americans in the midst of a Civil War. Today, after the Democrats have soundly defeated the currently corrupt and anti-Constitution Republicans, this message or reunification and reinspiration is particularly important. The Republicans under Bush have been frightening and dividing us for years. Even before Bush, they were doing the same thing under the leadership of the now disgraced Newt Gingrich.

The Democrats, uniting progressives and moderates, represent renewed hope for a united and inspired America. One cannot find genuine inspiration in fear and divisiveness and greed. That is what Bush represents. We need to represent something different: unity, new ideas, progress, equality. This Thanksgiving I am contemplating the genuinely inspiring new ideas from Democrats that I have been highlighting since before the last election.

It is right and proper for any nation to celebrate its foundation myths, and it is particularly appropriate to celebrate the opportunities offered to us by America at its best. And more than ever I want to celebrate the BEST side of America as represented by this year's alliance of progressives and moderates that defeated the right wing extremist Republicans. But I also want to acknowledge what was lost when our American culture was founded and spread. In this light I simply want to point people’s attention to a few ways to help the surviving Native Americans should you find that this makes your Thanksgiving even more special.

I will first mention the American Indian College Fund, which provides scholarships to American Indian students and helps Tribal Colleges. Education is part of the secret of my family’s success. Can we give the same kind of opportunity to those whose homes and rights were lost when this nation was founded? If you think we can, please donate to the American Indian College Fund.

I want to also mention the Native Energy Wind Farm project, which addresses alternative energy and Native American economies at the same time. They help build wind power generation projects in areas ideal for wind power and in many cases these projects are Native American-owned and operated. This project is a way to energy independence for America, to create new jobs right here in America (rather than in Saudi Arabia) and to create a solid economy in the Native American nations that co-exist within the borders of the United States. They also have a neat way that you can offset your personal carbon dioxide load by helping build alternative, clean energy for America.

Finally, I want to emphasize political rights for Native Americans. Education, economy and political power are what Native Americans need to survive. I cover education and economy above (as I did a year ago). For political power I want to remind you of a relatively new project started to help Native Americans who run for office as Democrats. This project is the Indigenous Democratic Network. From their website:

The Indigenous Democratic Network is the only grassroots political organization devoted to recruiting and electing Native American candidates and mobilizing the Indian Vote throughout America on behalf of those candidates. We are dedicated to making a unified Indian voice heard at the local, state and national levels by helping Indians build and run effective campaign organizations and to win elected offices across America.

In order to do so, we will be supporting a select group of Indian candidates for state and local offices across this land in 2006. This will be the first step in training a new generation of Indian leaders at the national level. The Indigenous Democratic Network identifies Democratic Indian candidates running for state and local office and recommends them to our members. INDN’s List will also keep members informed of political events and news headlines via, newsletters, e-mail alerts, direct mail, and our website.

In addition, as a member you will receive invitations to meet with other members, candidates and office-holders across the country. Your membership is what you make it. See “How to Help.”

Helping the Indigenous Democratic Network helps both the political power of Native Americans, AND helps the Democratic Party. Here is their website.

So if you want to celebrate our founding myths AND want to show your appreciation for the cultures we replaced/absorbed, donations to these groups may be a good addition to your Thanksgiving traditions, particularly in the context of the original intention of Thankgsgiving as a unifying holiday to bring all Americans together. I urge you to give a little bit to one of these groups this year and every year. That way your Thanksgiving celebration can celebrate BOTH the founding of the nation that has given most of us new opportunities AND the cultures that were hurt most by that process.