Once you are armed with more information, you need to decide what to share with your children and when. Keep it age appropriate while still being accurate. Parents need to do their research and make sure they have a better understanding of what actually happened before discussing any of it with their children. This is just a snippet of the complex and often untold story of how Thanksgiving came to be. In between, there was genocide, slavery, and disease that wiped out many of the existing tribes. The actual holiday of Thanksgiving was not declared until a couple hundred years later, by the colonist, as a way to unite the country during the civil war. The pilgrims, who referred to themselves as separatists at the time, were there, as well as members of the Wampanoag tribe. There are no first-hand written accounts that describe the tribe being invited to the celebration, but the assumption was made based on the knowledge that the Wampanoag had taught the settlers how to farm and they were most likely there at the time of harvest. “We should provide our children with accurate information and the themes around Thanksgiving are opportunities for both parents and children to unlearn any stereotypes or inaccuracies in history.”Įven if you know that the way Thanksgiving is portrayed in most history books isn’t true, you might be asking yourself what did actually happen? Here’s the short story: There was a feast that happened in 1621 at Plimoth Plantation. history from one perspective, that of the European colonist and not the indigenous people who were living here for thousands of years,” says Debbie LeeKennan, one of the leaders of the anti-bias education movement. “The traditional Thanksgiving presents the U.S. The cheerful displays of pilgrims in black hats, coming off the Mayflower to share the land and a meal with “the Indians” is far from accurate. Most parents of young children have had to question the lessons of Thanksgiving they were taught during their childhood. Many of us are wondering, how can we talk to our children about the reality of Thanksgiving, while still enjoying the idea of “thanks giving”? To help answer this question, we gathered the advice of a diverse group of experts on how to best broach this complex subject with our children. At the same time, we enjoy celebrating with loved ones and passing our traditions on to our own children.Īs we see the current injustices happening in our country, we are reminded of the history that was white-washed to tell only one side of the story and we don’t want history to repeat itself. As children we learned one version, but as adults, most of us have become aware that the story we were told of the first Thanksgiving and why we celebrate today is far from the truth. The story of Thanksgiving is one that is full of controversy, many of the facts suspiciously left out of the history books. While it is a wonderful time of year to reflect on what we are thankful for and enjoy pumpkin pie, how did we get here today? How did Thanksgiving come to be? With Thanksgiving less than 24 hours away, many Americans are preoccupied with preparations for tomorrow’s big feast or traveling to be with family and friends.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |