Seattle Schools Memo: Thanksgiving is "500 Years of Betrayal"

By Anastacia Mott Austin

Washington State’s largest school district sent out a memo this week addressed to all school staff with a web attachment referring readers to a website called "Deconstructing The Myths of the First Thanksgiving." (http://www.oyate.org/resources/shortthanks.html).

The memo included the warning to be aware that Thanksgiving is not a happy holiday for many Native Americans (Myth #11: "Thanksgiving is a happy time.")

Caprice Hollins, director of the Equity, Race, and Learning Support department within the Seattle school district, sent the memo. Hollins could not be reached for comment, but district representative David Tucker told reporters that the memo was intended to increase sensitivity to minority groups such as Native Americans.

On the Oyate website, other myths of Thanksgiving included the notion that the Pilgrims and the Native Americans became friends, when in fact the settlers allegedly celebrated a day of thanksgiving to commemorate the massacre of 700 native people in 1637 (Myth #10).

Other supposed myths were that the Pilgrims provided the food (Myth #8), that they ate pumpkin pie, cranberries, and potatoes (Myth #9, none of those foods were available at the time), and that the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock (Myth #4).

The memo began with the statement that "One of our department’s goals is to support you by suggesting ways to assist you in removing barriers to learning by promoting respect and honoring the diversity of our students, staff and families."

The letter later notes "Myth #11: Thanksgiving is a happy time," and explains that for many native peoples, "…as currently celebrated in this country, ‘Thanksgiving’ is a bitter reminder of 500 years of betrayal returned for friendship."

The Seattle district has a high percentage of Native American students in its population.

But representatives from local tribes were not universally supportive of the memo.

Darryl Williams of the Tulalip tribe told reporters that most Native Americans celebrate Thanksgiving in the same way that many other Americans do – as a way to be thankful for abundance and a chance to spend time with families.

Said Williams, "The spirit of Thanksgiving, of people working together to help each other, is the spirit I think that needs to grow in this country, because this country has gotten very divisive."