thanksgiving a crock of S**T?

Question

is thanksgiving really anything more than a commerical holiday?..family getting together aside does it hold any of its
original meaning when the modern american indian has less to be thankful for than the average american?
I have to wonder what typical american indian would be thinking knowing the average american is sitting down stuffing their face while they as a virtually invisible minority who live in poverty
to them it must feel like a backhanded insult

im not saying its a bad thing because of course family is important I am only suggesting that perhaps the meaning could be adjusted to suit to both american indians and americans

what do you think?

Answer 1

Hmmm .. I have a lot to say about this and yes, I do think now it's a commerical holiday. Except today, you can't say all American Indians are living in poverty but many Southwestern tribes are. Like the Navajo. I actually got this catalog in the mail with, I guess, "Native Merchandise" from the Navajo Nation and they're trying to sell things to make money. It's actually quite sad. Although, in Connecticut, the Pequot are living the high life because of Foxwoods. My daughter expresses to me about how she hates how she learns from the Europeans point of view in history and I completely understand her concerns. I can also understand how a Native might feel insulted, as a holiday originated from them but now they're not even thought of at all. I was watching the Tyra Banks show and she brought a woman from every nationality onto the show, but didn't bring a Native woman. It pissed me off but what can I say, this country is effed up.

Answer 2

You're compressing 500 years of history into one holiday. The one tribe of Indians and the Pilgrims are just metaphors for the Indians and the Americans. It's not as though those Indians and those Pilgrims are the decedents of all Americans and all Indians and from that first TG everything has gone downhill. There were plenty of awful Europeans come Americans and plenty of warlike animalistic Indians who had to be killed in order to establish any sort of order, and plenty of diseases which couldn't be helped either. What can we do except use this example of peaceful coexistence and move on from today, not give up on everything because history is filled with instances of horror.

Answer 3

I think you do a disservice to American Native Indians. Firstly most of them are not living in abject poverty. Some are, but some white Americans are also living in poverty.
But the bottom line is, the Pilgrims borrowed the holiday from the Indians. It was they who traditionally celebrated the harvest. The
Pilgrims changed it, of course, thanking their God for the harvest, rather than the Indian God,or Great Spirit, who provided the feast in the first place.
Thanksgiving, like Christmas and Easter, has been subsumed by the advertising industry on behalf of American capitalism. Now the thrust of every holiday is to get out there and buy something and that's a contradiction, in most cases, to the original intent of the holiday.
However, Happy Thanksgiving to you, and to all who celebrate the day.

Answer 4

to me, in a buisness perspective, oh yes. But in reality, when the pilgrims came, they did create something special which turned into a holiday. But yes sure, it means money for companies, along with every holiday out there, especially christmas, but to a families perspective, it's a day where everyone should give thanks for the food on there table. In my family, we pray every day we sit at the table and thank God for the food we have. I hope every family feels this way.

Answer 5

i'm not sure where you live, but here in mi a lot of indians are a lot richer than i, thanks to their casinos. so, they're not invisible or poor. while a lot of american holidays are heavily influenced by commerce, the original meaning still stands. all people together, giving thanks for survival in near overwhelming odds. i know that's a bit much, but i think you get my drift. i sure don't.

Answer 6

it would be interesting had the Europeans treated THE PEOPLE with more respect and dignity. however, the Europeans did keep one treaty with THE PEOPLE - we want what you have and we are going to take it. there was a story about the European asking THE PEOPLE for as much land as a blanket would cover. upon agreeing the European unraveled the blanket and it covered all of Turtle Island.

Answer 7

No matter what meaning is officially given to any holiday celebration it seems that somebody will find reason to be offended.

Answer 8

Indeed, family gathering is good, but when it gets hypocritical or awful lawful then it's bad.

Answer 9

It's a holiday - enjoy it.

Answer 10

Yea, its a holiday - enjoy it!