By: Dr Marimba Ani
A
group of European beasts, many had been imprisoned or homeless in
England, arrived in New England in 1620. They first lived on Turtle
Island.
Half
of them died within the first few months. Squanto, of the Pequot
people, who had been enslaved by the Europeans and taken to England,
spoke English and formed a "close" relationship with these "pitiful"
migrants. He taught them how to grow corn and to fish, how to put
together certain foods, and other survival skills.
The white people "saw Squanto as a tool of their god to help his chosen people."
In other words, they used him. To them, he and his people were "heathens" and "savages".
The
world view of the indigenous peoples, much like the Afrikan world view,
taught them "to give freely to those who had nothing.
Squanto is said to have negotiated a false "treaty" between the
nearby
Wampanoag and the "pilgrims". The leader of the Wampanoag Nation,
Massasoit, donated food stores to the struggling colony of Europeans.
In
1621, having survived a hard winter, due to the help of the Wampanoag,
the Europeans celebrated, as was their custom to have "thanksgivings" to
their god.
No
Wampanoag or members of any other indigenous nations were invited. And
yet, they came and supplied most of the food. In return for helping them
to survive, the "pilgrims" decimated the Wampanoag through disease,
treachery and slaughter in the years which followed.
By
1637, as the Europeans were feeling successful, more powerful and in
control of their newly taken over territory, an crew was sent to
Connecticut, near Groton.
Over 700
Indigenous peoples (Pequot) were celebrating their yearly harvest
(Annual Green Corn Festival), when they were taken by surprise by the
white invaders.
Their
men were shot and clubbed to death, while their women and children were
burned alive. Winthrop, the first governor of Massachusetts Bay
Colony, proclaimed a "day of thanksgiving," saying that they should
thank god for destroying the savages to make way for "a better
growth" (quoted in the work of Cotton Mather).
What
followed shows a most vicious record of continuing slaughters of the
indigenous people of this land now known as "america."
It became the custom of the white destroyers to follow each massacre with a "thanksgiving."
Rewards
would be given to those who returned with the skulls of indigenous
people to encourage their slaughter. In 1863, it was decided to
"celebrate" only one annual day of "thanksgiving," proclaimed by Abraham
Lincoln.
At
a later period, the 4th Thursday of November was chosen by the
capitalists, calculated to dramatize the shopping days until christmas.
It became a marketing scheme.
In
1970, at the 350th anniversary of the landing of the pilgrims, a leader
of Indigenous peoples prepared a speech in which he told the true
history of Plymouth, and berated the white people for robbing the graves
of the Wampanoag. The officials of Massachusetts did not allow him to
make the speech.
Every
year since then, Indigenous people of this land have looked upon the
4th Thursday of November as a day of mourning. (See Russell Means, Susan
Bates, and Jaqueline Keeler, and other sources for more information.)
We,
Black people in America, are victims of the same process that resulted
in the murder of millions of Indigenous people and the decimation of
their Nations. "america was built by stolen labor on stolen land!"
That is the legacy of white folk on this continent. That is what this country represents.
Taking without thanks!
Change is not easy. We are used to celebrating with our families on this day.
It
is always so good to come together and share a meal with each other,
But we do have other choices. And we always need to be in the process of
growth. Growth makes change necessary.
We can change a little at a time, remembering that our goal is Afrikan Freedom.
1.
When you are with your family on Thursday, November 22, take a moment
to remember and talk about the true meaning of this "holy day"
2.
We don't have to contribute to the profit-making mania organized by the
large conglomerates, encouraging us to spend money that we don't have
during the weekend following that day. Don't shop!
3.
Make the sacrifice of fasting on that day. Yes, it will be a challenge,
but you can still enjoy your family and at the same time identify with
those who were exploited, murdered, and raped of
their resources, as we have been. (This is not a cause for celebration.)
4.
Let us choose a day on which the Pan-Afrikan World Nation gives thanks
together for the gift of Afrikan Ancestry, and the sacrifices that have
been made for us by our Ancestors! We can
start small, with the Afrikans that we know.
In Afrikan Sovereignty, Mama Marimba Ani
For further Study Click Links Below:
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Thanks
Bro Kweku
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