A New Thanksgiving Decree
Thanksgiving is winding down. There are few leftovers in the fridge. Family and friends have gathered (hopefully after being vaccinated and everyone rapid testing on the day of the event) and are gone or will be shortly. It is time to move into the next season of solstice, of Christmas, of a New Year. But before we leave November I want to put this here, my new Thanksgiving decree. Thanksgiving is a celebration of all things indigenous, of food sovereignty, of gratitude for bounty, of reciprocity to the Earth, and of writing Indigenous people back into the narrative of who we are as Americans. While these specific words may be mine, the ideas behind them are inspired by the work of many thought leaders. I would like to acknowledge Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, Citizen Potawatomi ; Chef Sean Sherman, Oglala Lakota Sioux ; Steven Peters, Wampanoag and Dr. Heather Cox Richardson for their generosity in sharing their words and ideas with the world. Their ideas have alchemized with my own