It’s the holiday season which means family, food, football and whiny articles from progressives about how to properly politicize your holiday gatherings. The Nation seems to have drawn the short straw this year with a piece by two authors titled “Should America Keep Celebrating Thanksgiving?” The twist in the piece is that the authors think we should in fact continue to celebrate the holiday, but only if we turn it into another excuse for a leftist struggle session.
For many Americans, the image of Thanksgiving is one of supposed unity: the gathering of “Pilgrims and Indians” in a harmonious feast. But this version obscures the harsh truth, one steeped in colonialism, violence, and misrepresentation. By exploring the Indigenous perspective on Thanksgiving, we can not only discern some of the nuances of decolonization but gain a deeper understanding of American history…
I do not think we need to end Thanksgiving. But we do need to decolonize it. That means centering the Indigenous perspective and challenging the colonial narratives around the holiday (and every other day on the calendar). By reclaiming authentic histories and practices, decolonization seeks to honor Indigenous values, identities, and knowledge…
This Thanksgiving, let’s break the bonds of colonization and capitalism—not just on our plates but in our perspectives, too. I want a Thanksgiving where I can be thankful that I live in a world where diversity is celebrated, and where every person’s connection to their food, land, and history is respected and cherished.
One of the authors of this piece is Chase Iron Eyes. You may recall that he was one of the people organizing protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline back in 2017. He was arrested and charged with inciting a riot, but he made a plea deal which eventually reduced the charge to disorderly conduct. Anyway, Iron Eyes and co-author Sean Sherman are swimming against the current on this one. A poll out today found that most Americans do not want to discuss politics over Thanksgiving.
The Quinnipiac University poll found that most voters are not “looking forward to Thanksgiving political discussions,” with 29% saying yes, they are, but 61% saying no. 10% gave a variety of other answers.
“Well, number one, I’m going to be talking about the Dallas Cowboys,” said Charles Hart, the former chair of the Orange County Republican Party…
“I think Americans are tired of politics right now. We’re wanting to have a good holiday season, be with family, eat great food and pass out after lunch,” Hart said.
Pew also put out a story about Thanksgiving today and, not surprisingly, it notes that what Americans overwhelmingly prioritize is spending time with family. In fact, the priority of family over other things is something that Americans still agree on regardless of their political views.
Overall, nine-in-ten Americans say spending time with family is either very important or one of the most important things to them personally, regardless of how much time they actually devote to it.
What’s more, spending time with family is the top priority for Americans regardless of political affiliation. About nine-in-ten Republicans and Democrats (including those who lean to each party) say family time is either very important or one of the most important aspects of their life.
Later in the same article Pew notes another thing a majority of Americans of all stripes agree on:
About six-in-ten people in each party say they find it stressful and frustrating to have political conversations with people they disagree with. These shares have grown somewhat in the last few years, and a similar trend appears among Americans overall.
These results weren’t specific to Thanksgiving, but my guess is that the results go double for holiday gatherings.
The good news for Chase Iron Eyes is that people really aren’t getting together to celebrate colonialism or even capitalism this week. They’re mostly getting together to enjoy each other’s company and some good food. It’s a reminder that some things, especially family, are more important that politics. That will never be good enough for people whose entire lives revolve around partisan political activity but it’s what most Americans are going to focus on this week whether the activists like it or not.
Read the full article here