Some educators and universities have condemned Thanksgiving celebrations, instead seeking to implement diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) efforts into the day.
The University of California, Davis, through the California History-Social Science Project, held a Zoom meeting called “Decolonizing Thanksgiving in the Classroom,” Fox News reports.
“We will discuss reframing classroom practices and rituals about Thanksgiving,” a description of the event explained. “Centering perspectives from Turtle Island (a name for North America used by some indigenous people) will help us decolonize Thanksgiving and spark new conversations about how to authentically make meaning of this holiday with our students.”
Another event, put on by Washington University in St. Louis, “highlights and honors the way different cultures recognize and understand Thanksgiving, both as part of their history, and as a tradition brought into the present day.”
Similarly, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology released an invitation to an event that continues “our exploration of the narratives justifying land grabs via colonialism.”
“This year we will have a look at how myths are perpetuated through media by watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer as we feast on pies, pizza and otherwise,” the invite says, further encouraging students to join in a rally for the National Indigenous Day of Mourning.
The Fox News report added that the University of Massachusetts called Thanksgiving a “Day of Mourning.”
“The National Day of Mourning is an annual demonstration, held on the fourth Thursday in November, that aims to educate the public about Native Americans in the United States, notably the Wampanoag and other tribes of the Eastern United States, dispel myths surrounding the Thanksgiving story in the United States; and raise awareness toward historical and ongoing struggles facing Native American tribes,” the university said.
