With Thanksgiving around the corner, we wanted to provide some teaching suggestions and activities related to this holiday. The history of the Thanksgiving celebration is complex because it often promotes a romanticized concept of the relationship between European colonists and Indigenous Peoples, and neglects to recognize the genocide of Tribal Nations. Some Indigenous Peoples observe the fourth Thursday of November as a Day of Mourning. For example, Teaching Tolerance offers a lesson plan and an article for educators that can help you address historical myths about Thanksgiving and the atrocious reality of how Indigenous Peoples were treated when Europeans came to the United States. Inform your students that some people in the United States do not acknowledge the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving, but instead observe that day as a National Day of Mourning. Help students to understand that celebrating Thanksgiving can be a time to reflect on what we are thankful for, but it is also a time to remember how Indigenous Peoples have been treated in the past and into the present day. It is important to listen to and amplify the voices of Indigenous Peoples who are speaking out about their needs, concerns, and perspectives for how to move toward restorative justice.

We also believe it is important to think about turkeys—particularly in November—since according to Farm Sanctuary, approximately 46 million turkeys are killed each year for Thanksgiving celebrations. Our provided activities highlight the remarkable qualities of turkeys to build appreciation for them and to encourage youth to recognize them as sentient beings.