Give Thanks!

When I was in school, I was taught about Thanksgiving in a very traditional way. My teachers made it seem that the Pilgrims came to America and nicely asked the Native Americans for help planting crops and shared a meal with them, similar to how we celebrate Thanksgiving today. In reality, the first Thanksgiving was much different. The Pilgrims actually really brought many diseases with them, and unknowingly, infected the Native Americans. The immune systems of the Native Americans were not used to the European diseases and perished due to them. Thanksgiving is also a time where many Native American stereotypes are brought up again and again. Children make "Indian" themed art projects at school, people dress up as indians in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (and other parades as well), and Native Americans are portrayed as the unintelligent savages that were helped out by the European men. Of course, none of these portrayals of Native Americans are accurate. Native Americans knew the land much better than Europeans and were terriffic hunters and gatherers (traits that the Europeans envied). I do not think the Native Americans get enough credit for all of their abilities and accomplishments. Also, I think that in elementary school children should be taught to think of this holiday as a time for giving thanks for what they have. This should be the main focus. The history of Thanksgiving should also be taught, however, the children should be asked to think of the first Thanksgiving from both perspectives. They should be asked how they thought each side felt due to the circumstsances.
I find it so bizarre that we still celebrate Columbus Day. Columbus was not the first person to "discover" America. Vikings and other peoples from Europe had been here prior to Columbus and even prior to that, the Native Americans were settled here. Columbus is to blame for the stereotypical name "Indian." When he landed in the Caribbean Islands he bleieved that he had found India and, therefore, called the people settled there Indians (and for some reason, this term has stuck around). Columbus and his men were not respectful of Native Americans. They stole from them, raped the women, and abused their trusting way of life. This stor is spun much, much differently in the American elementary school classrooms. Columbus is portrayed as a hero who led his men on a daring journey accross the ocean to discover new land. In reality, Columbus cared more about spices, gold, and riches than the glory of finding new land. I think that children should be taught about the true stor of Columbus but in a way that is sensitive to the fact that this stor yis rather disturbing. I think that having children read the true version of the Columbus story side-by-side with the traditional story would help them notice the differences and where truth and fiction diverge.