Thanksgiving began as a day of giving thanks and sacrifice for the harvest and of the preceding year. As my family plans to come together (virtually this year), I reflect on my childhood I realize I was really only taught one side of history and in a very culturally appropriated way. Through my education later in life, I realize History ALWAYS has at least two perspectives and in most instances I was only taught one; and Thanksgiving is no exception. What we learn about Thanksgiving starts in grade school. Consider this- challenge yourself and your family to learn about and teach a different perspective of history this year.

Things to avoid:

• Construction paper “Indian Headbands” with feathers
• 10 Little Indians song
• The phrase “sit Indian style”
• Giving out Native American names
• Making “Indian drums”
• Cultural Appreciation, in general

Suggestions for Thanksgiving Lessons:

• Bring in Native American presenters
• Create a map just showing where different nations/tribes are from
• Work with a native/tribe near you
• Replace “Indian” or “Pilgrim” with specific names (the Wampanoag and the English or Separatists)
• Culturally appropriate lessons
  (inspired by “A Story of Survival: The Wampanoag and the English” lesson booklet)

This week, CBS announced that it will implement new equity targets for reality TV programs starting in 2021. This means that shows like Survivor, The Amazing Race, Love Island, and Big Brother will contain at least 50% contestants who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Steps are also being made behind the camera too, with 25% of CBS’s annual unscripted budget going to projects created by BIPOC producers. Back in June, CBS made a similar announcement about scripted TV, with targets for at least 40% BIPOC writers in every series (CBS Steps Up With New Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives for Unscripted Shows).

Movies too are being looked at differently. Earlier this year, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the group that oversees the Academy Awards (aka the Oscars), announced new inclusion standards for award eligibility. Factors like onscreen representation, creative leadership, story themes and narratives, and industry access and opportunities, will be factored into decisions about which films are eligible to be named the best motion pictures starting in 2024 (The Oscars Will Add a Diversity Requirement for Eligibility).

Critics of these measures say that instituting “quotas” limits authentic diversity and tokenizes individuals of color, while industry leaders point to persistent disparities in representation and longstanding exclusion of BIPOC creators and artists as the need for increased oversight.

What do you think? Why do you suppose inclusion standards like these are being implemented in 2020? What are some benefits this might bring, and what could be some negative effects? Should studios implement such equity targets?

In 1986 both Congress and President Ronald Reagan proclaimed a week in November as “American Indian Week” and in 1990 Congress and President George H.W. Bush proclaimed the entire month of November be proclaimed “National American Indian Heritage Month” and every U.S. President since has made the same declaration. According to the Library of Congress, “National American Indian Heritage Month celebrates and recognizes the accomplishments of the peoples who were the original inhabitants, explorers and settlers of the United States.”

Missouri has rich Native American history and has many sites across the state where you can learn about that history. Missouri Life Magazine lists twenty-eight Native American sites to explore in Missouri; including caves, trails, state parks, and museums.

If you prefer to stay at home, PBS is airing a collection of films, short stories, and documentaries during November. Learn about and celebrate the history, diversity, culture, and traditions of Indigenous people who are often erased from history. Check your local PBS station schedule or watch On Demand.