We are the fall semester students of Religion 115: Green Spirituality for Lifelong Wellness led by Dr. Amy Merrill Willis. This class focuses on the connection between the environment and humanity. During the semester, we have been reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer as a resource to expand and apply knowledge about the reciprocal relationship between humans and the land. Kimmerer, a scientist and member of the Potawatomi Nation, explains the importance of Thanksgiving in Native American culture and shows us how it differs from typical American conceptions.
Thanksgiving is typically a holiday that is spent with family and friends. However, green spirituality teaches us that thanksgiving can represent more than just spending time with friends and family, but also being thankful for the earth.
Kimmerer emphasizes gratitude for non-human relationships as well as human relationships. This includes the trees for shelter and shade, the food for the energy and strength it gives us, and the animals that surround us and all of the things they have to teach us. She introduces us to the Haudenosaunee Nation’s daily ritual called the “Thanksgiving Address,” which is a long statement of gratitude. Here’s a quote from the address: “With one mind, we honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from the garden, especially the Three Sisters [beans, corn, squash] who fed the people with such abundance” (109). Each part of this long address has the same topic in mind; being grateful for the earth around us and what it is able to provide.
“The Thanksgiving Address” ends each paragraph with the phrase “now our minds are one.” This ritual seeks to build common ground, unity, and belonging. However, we know that people across the country see Thanksgiving in different ways. Americans often describe Thanksgiving as a day of friendship that began with a feast between colonists and members of the Wampanoag tribe in 1621 to celebrate a good harvest and union between the English and the Native Americans. Sadly, the horrors of Native American massacre and assimilation have made Thanksgiving a day of mourning for many American Indians. For some, Thanksgiving is often a day marked by political arguments among family members. Year after year, unresolved conflicts build animosity between loved ones. In the midst of all these divisions, Kimmerer reminds us to practice gratitude which “leads to an outlook of contentment and respect for all of Creation,” including your family (Kimmerer, 111). Kimmerer teaches us that everyday can be a day of gratitude, not just the third Thursday of November.
As we approach Thanksgiving, we hope you will find a deeper sense of gratitude, contentment, and unity with all of your human and non-human relations.
Want to learn more about what Thanksgiving means to local native peoples in Virginia? Listen to this great story from WAMU.org! (Link can be found in the email under the newsletter.)