Community Chat

[Moonchilde]

There are always various threads about all aspects of Thanksgiving each year. I’m always kind of surprised when those who were not born in the US but have come to live here say they “don’t celebrate” Thanksgiving because it’s such an American holiday (I have not found that most foreign-born people that I’ve known feel this way, but some do).

I guess I might understand, if immigrant adults and children are immersed in the First Thanksgiving myth (it IS a myth), Pigrims, Native Americans, etc. then you could think of it as “American”, but honestly, it isn’t.

Early on, there were many “days of thanksgiving” by colonists. But there was no official “Thanksgiving” day until Abraham Lincoln created one in 1863. And then, because it was an idea of Lincoln’s, most Southerners refused it as a holiday or a celebration for many years. So, it hasn’t been some hallowed, nationally celebrated founding holiday all along at all.

But to me, wherever people were born or whenever they came here, setting aside a special day each year to remind ourselves to be thankful for what we have every day Is a universal idea/thought. I’m sure that people in every country have festivals, holidays, and periods of being grateful and thankful for what they have; it’s not an American concept. There are other Western countries who have national days of thanksgiving. It’s not about the Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving, it’s about being thankful for whatever, period. I think pretty much anyone can embrace that, and I can only think of one exception (later).

It’s become, in the 20th and 21st centuries, a time for family to gather, if/when possible, and have a meal in love and thankfulness of being able to be together, in safety and warmth. Whatever else they are thankful for is as individual as every one of us.

Several immigrants I know have said that Thanksgiving is one of their favorite times because...who isn’t thankful for something, especially their family? It’s an idea we can all relate to. It’s an inclusive holiday by nature. It doesn’t really matter if turkey & stuffing are on the table or tikka masala & samosas.

YES, Native Americans have negative feelings about Thanksgiving, and the way “the story” has come down through history with the sanitized version of the First Thanksgiving and all the fairy tale stuff they tell first-graders. I understand those feelings, I “get” them, and I sympathize. A myth was born, full of misconceptions, at the expense of the profound gratitude we should have towards the Native Americans without whom the Mayflower settlers would have all surely died.

I can only hope that Native Americans will come to understand that those who celebrate Thanksgiving today also celebrate the help and wisdom native peoples gave us, and continue to give us. We don’t forget that there wouldn’t have been that “first” day of thanksgiving without them, and we honor them too - at least, I do.

[Annabellethecat66]

@Moonchilde Thank you for that lovely informative post.  My great grandmother was a full Cherokee Indian.  Her daughter, my Father's mother raised me.  She taught me so many ways to heal, etc rather than just suck down a pill.

This is going to be hard to believe, but my great grandmother was 114 when she died.  My grandmother had in her big chest a newspaper that told about her.  My brother, niece and several other family members remembered seeing it.

My guess now is that it was probably an estimate since there is no real record of her birth.  The article did say that she started getting teeth and that her eyesight started improving.  I do remember that.

Remember, that was a long time ago as I am now 71.  I haven't been able to find out anything on the internet about it.

[Moonchilde]

@Annabellethecat66, one of my great-grandmothers was also Native American, though I don’t know if she was full or half. I’ve tried to trace genealogically but run into a brick wall. I do know it’s not “just” a family story, but true.

Well before I ever knew that (I only found out in my 20s), I admired and was interested in NA customs and culture; I have been since I can remember.

[Annabellethecat66]

Our library has an entire room where you can go and look up ancestry.  I've never been there but I have friends who are librarians.

If you're interested most library's have similar rooms (so I'm told).  Most people never go to librarys anymore.  I used to love taking my girls to the library.

I don't go anymore.  You might start there if you're interested.

[stuyvesant]

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@Moonchilde wrote:

@Annabellethecat66, one of my great-grandmothers was also Native American, though I don’t know if she was full or half. I’ve tried to trace genealogically but run into a brick wall. I do know it’s not “just” a family story, but true.

Well before I ever knew that (I only found out in my 20s), I admired and was interested in NA customs and culture; I have been since I can remember.

____________

How do you know "it's not 'just' a family story, but true."

I've always been interested in Native American customs and culture, and I'm Irish through and through.  They speak to me, but when my bones speak to me, I take Aleeve.

I just signed up for a DNA test from Ancestry.com.  I think you've spoken about how you took these DNA tests.  Didn't they solve  these questions for you? 

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[Moonchilde]

@Annabellethecat66,I’ve been doing research on Ancestry dotcom for many years. Sometimes, you just reach a dead end.

[Annabellethecat66]

@Moonchilde Don't I know it (about the dead end).  In my family I reached the dead end almost before it got started.

It's really frustrating because there's even an entire town named after my late husband's family.  He was the last direct decendant from them.  There are many with the last name but he was the last male.

My daughter was able to go all the way back to before his family came over from England.

My maiden name is very plain with many people having it.

[Moonchilde]

@Annabellethecat66, at this investigational point I only have the US census as my primary guide. As you know, the older you get the more those older than you aren’t there any more to ask. And when you throw in the things that happen in families - divorces, remarriages, multiple step families, and etc - even if people were around to ask, you might not get the truth, or get one person’s version.

Something you might try - Ancestry dotcom (I’m sure the others would have similar) has areas where you can ask questions about surnames and specific lines. I asked on both sides, and did connect with some relatives I didn’t know I had - but I waited years for the right people to see my enquiries. I had given up hope of hearing anything when I did at last; it was cool 😎

[Annabellethecat66]

@Moonchilde Thanks for the info.  Incidentally, I very much enjoyed you post.  I think you did an excellent job.