Why I'm Thankful I Know the Real History Behind Thanksgiving

13 October 2009, Launch Magazine

At McMaster every fall, there is a mass exodus of students who head home to spend time with their families and consume lots of turkey, or sometimes tofurkey. But I am never one of them.

For all of the years I’ve been in university, I only managed to make it home for Thanksgiving in my first year. When I mention this to people they think my parents want nothing to do with me and I must have starved over the weekend. That, or I’m really anti-social. I assure you none of this is true, but we are a bit non-traditional when it comes to Thanksgiving.

My parents are cool with this arrangement. I’m their only child and have left the nest. They have adjusted to life without me being around and I have done the same. It’s not that we don’t talk often (we do), but it seems we do things differently than most families.

My parents drove down to visit me last weekend, took me out for Thai food, and then spent Thanksgiving weekend at their cottage. I, on the other hand, spent the weekend frantically working on the three essays I have due between Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. Maybe this is our Thanksgiving tradition because it seems to happen every year.

Interesting fact: grocery stores still sell pumpkin pie to you even if you’re not with your family over the weekend.

As part of one of my lectures last week, I learned about the Haudenoshonee Thanksgiving Address, also known as Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen, or “words that come before all else.” This ceremony is important to the Haudenoshonee peoples and is a means of thanking the natural world for all of the things it provides. Traditionally, the address can go on for days at a time, and is recited in one of the six Haudenoshonee languages.

However, there are now short summations in English. Although I am not advocating for cultural co-option, I firmly believe we should all be giving thanks every day, instead of once a year. I really dislike that everyone feels obligated to give thanks because it’s a holiday. It seems to cheapen the meaning behind everything.

This time of year also makes me reflect on how much we actually know about the holidays. I’m sure you all know the real history of Thanksgiving, right? Sometime in the sixteenth century, the pilgrims and Native Americans came together and celebrated, as the Native people were preventing the British separatists from suffering from starvation. Everyone was happy, food was plentiful, and the world was full of rainbows, cuddly kitties, cute puppies and magical unicorns.

In case my sarcasm didn’t register with you, what we are taught about the first Thanksgiving is actually a huge myth. There was no Thanksgiving feast and relations were not good. Although the puritans were starving (they ate their dogs, boiled their clothes for the starch, and even cannibalized each other) and the Tsenacomoco did help them survive the first winter, there ends the truth behind the Thanksgiving narrative.

Once the colonists gained more supplies the following spring, they turned against the Tsenacomoco; a trend toward Indigenous people that has lasted for centuries.

Although there have been commonalities in the way Canadians and Americans treated and continue to treat our Indigenous populations, there are many differences between the two nations. The story of the foundation of Canada is based on both British and French colonists, creating a different narrative and thus a distinct culture down the road. The first Canadian Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1859, it had a pro-British, white, Christian, Anglo-Saxon message, and was incredibly anti-American. However, by the 1870’s the American “traditions” as stated above took hold on Canada much against the chagrin of our religious leaders of the time.

Since then, the holiday’s meaning has changed yet again for Canadians. The holiday we celebrated in the Victorian era wanted us to express thanks for the things in our world and the people around us. It was in 1957 that Parliament passed a law that Thanksgiving would move to the second Monday in October, and that is how it has remained, along with the American story. This has lead to Thanksgiving becoming yet another Hallmark holiday.

For Indigenous people, Columbus Day and Thanksgiving represents a celebration of ethnocide, since their population has decreased as a result of colonialism and the xenophobia that accompanied it. Copies of the May 4, 1493, Papal Bull “Inter Caetera” – the document that allowed colonizers divine rule over North America – are burnt as a form of protest. The Papal Bull stated only Christians had rights to the land and since the continent was inhabited by heathens, their rights were revoked as possessors of the land. The myth of terra nuellis followed and also “allowed” Europeans their claim to North America.

I am thankful that I have my health, a roof over my head, a family that loves me, and fridge full of food. I am thankful that my parents instilled in me the desire to keep learning new things. I am even thankful for the ability to attend university, even though I am not all that impressed at the due dates my professors set out for me this year.

What I am most thankful for is that Hamilton does not have a wild turkey population. Those bastards are mean and will chase you.

How to survive living with your parents for the summer (or longer)

"How to survive living with your parents for the summer (or longer)", May 19 2009

The academic year has drawn to a close and many students have moved back into their family’s home for the summer (or maybe longer for new grads).

For some, this time causes no conflict. But for many of us, moving back in with our parents can be difficult. Being away at school has changed our relationships with our parents, siblings, friends, neighbourhood and even pets.

Although there are some downsides, student living is awesome, for the most part, because we choose how to live. We decide what to eat, when we come home each night, who comes over and when they leave. These choice are usually different than how we lived at school and our parents may not agree with how we live your lives … and this causes conflict.

So what can you do to make it work?

Talk to your parents

You’re an adult now, so if you want your parents to have mutual respect for you, you’ve got to act like one.

Find out what your parents expect of you. For example, maybe your parents can agree they don’t care when you get home, but you have to call if you’re going to stay out past a certain time. Ignoring these expectations will only cause your family to treat you like a child again. Your rebellious teenager days are supposed over, remember?

And there will likely be similar rules which need to be discussed: Can your significant other sleep over? Can they sleep in your bed? If you’re still underage, are you permitted to drink alcohol in the house with their permission? When is it too late to play music loudly: 9PM? 11PM? Never? What time should guests leave the house?

There may be multiple rules you must follow, or you may be incredibly lucky and not have any at all. Regardless of the number of rules, there are certain tasks you should do while living at home to illustrate how university helped you grow up.

Help out

For example, if you drive the family car, fill up the gas tank. No one likes getting into a car with an empty tank. It’s sort of like leaving an empty milk bag in the fridge.

Volunteer to help around the house by doing the grocery shopping, cooking a meal once a week, washing the car, mowing the lawn, weeding, etc. It’ll show your parents you can take initiative in helping the family, and that you’ve matured while away at school.

Be smart about your money

If you have a job, think about paying rent. It will teach you how to better budget your money and, again, illustrate how you have matured. 10% of each pay cheque is a reasonable amount.

If they don’t need to put toward the household expenses, ask your parents to put this money aside for you to be used when you move out, decide to buy your own house or go back to school.

Choose your battles wisely

You will not see eye-to-eye with your parents about everything, so if you have a strong opinion about something, talk to them about it calmly. When you’re discussing something with them, have solid rebuttals to back yourself up. Acting like a child will only cause your parents to hold their position more. The key to any relationship, no matter who is involved, is compromise.

If all else fails, keep in mind it’s only a short-term arrangement. If you’re waiting on a meaningful job to move out of your parents’ house, keep clicking through the Incubator for great career advice!

History of Thanksgiving

"History of Thanksgiving", October 2008

As many of you went home this weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving, I am sure you know all about why you are celebrating the holiday, right? Sometime in the sixteenth century the pilgrims and

Native Americans came together and celebrated, as the Native people were preventing the British separatists from suffering from starvation. Everyone was happy, food was plentiful, and domestic turkeys were served and eaten. Most importantly, relations were good even though there was no football, as George Bush pointed out in his 2007 Thanksgiving address.

As usual, the facts have been completely distorted by history and popular culture (and George Bush [although he was right about the football]).

First and foremost, relations between settlers and Indigenous people were not good. In fact, they were downright terrible. Colonists would give Native people blankets that were used by people infected by smallpox. The colonists understood the cultural significance of the blanket, and also that smallpox killed Native people. Settlers were trying to prevent resistance from the people Native on their home and native land. This happened in Canada as well as the United States, although there is more historical records of these events occurring in America.

Thus many Indigenous people see Thanksgiving as well as Columbus Day (the American holiday that takes place the same day as our Thanksgiving that celebrates Columbus “discovering” America) as a day of mourning. Their reasoning is that most of their population at that time was killed by European settlers, and as a direct result we should not be giving thanks for the ethnocide that has occurred.

Although there have been commonalities in the way Canadians and Americans treated and continue to treat our Indigenous populations, there are many differences between the two nations. The story of the foundation of Canada is based on both British and French colonists, creating a different narrative and thus a distinct culture down the road. I must lament that our professional football teams are not nearly as good as the United States, but I’m getting off-topic.

According to Peter A. Stevens, the first Canadian Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1859, and it has a pro-British, white, Christian, Anglo-Saxon message, and was incredibly anti-American. However, by the 1870’s the American traditions as stated above took hold on Canada much against the chagrin of our religious leaders of the time. In 1957 Parliament passed a law that Thanksgiving would move to the second Monday in October, moving from the Thursdays wanted by religious leaders as a Monday holiday would threaten church attendance.

Stevens states, “To Protestant clergymen, the early history of Thanksgiving is, perhaps, a tragedy, since they lost control over the holiday. From another perspective, it is a story of triumph. Catholics, workers, ethnic minorities and other groups excluded from the clergy's notions of Thanksgiving and Canadian identity democratized the holiday and adopted their own holiday practices, asserting that they, too, had something to contribute to Canadian society and culture.”

Since then the holiday has changed yet again in its meaning to Canadians. The holiday we celebrated in the Victorian era did want us to express thanks for the things in our world and the people around us. I really agree with this, as I think we should be thankful for all of the things we get to experience living in Canada. Unfortunately the day has become yet another Hallmark holiday – you can buy stuffed turkeys and cards, special decorations and the like. I’m sure as a child you made a hand turkey in order to celebrate the event when you were a child also.

So please, when you celebrate this weekend remember the histories behind this holiday! It is not what we were taught in school since the time of hand turkeys!

And speaking of turkeys...watch out for the wild ones! They're much different than the ones you see on your dining room table; much more agile and quick-moving. I had the unfortunate luck to be chased by one for 5-10 minutes. It is NOT FUN WHAT-SO-EVER!! They can get up to speeds of 32km/hr on the ground and 88km/hr in the air. They’re vicious creatures...who want revenge...

An Article for the Parents

"An Article for the Parents", May 2008.

I thought I’d take a slightly different avenue than normal, and provide some information for parents. Although this is a

resource for students, there are likely parents perusing this website as well (or hopefully?). What I am presenting to you can be forwarded to your parents, if they have not found this on their own.

For some parents, university can be as daunting for their children as it is for them. Having not gone to university or college themselves, they are unable to provide some kinds of support. These first generation or first in the family students have different challenges with the transition into university life because no one else in the family has post-secondary education. Nevertheless, parents are still able to provide support for their children, and students are able to get support, but must seek it from different places (which is not to say that these parents are providing none, but they cannot give their students advice on their time in post-secondary institutions).

For example, the FYEO (First Year Experience Office) has a program for First Gen students that occurs during the academic year. There is also a special session for First Gen students and their parents available on Welcome Day, Friday August 8 2008. The FYEO’s website is about to be updated, but it still has some worthwhile information as of posting time. There is also talk of a bursary being available for First Gen students as well (free money! w00t!), but additional information about that is not available at present.

McMaster actually has a whole portion of their website devoted to parents. It is under the umbrella of Student Affairs, where many useful services are, including McMaster Security, the libraries, the Ombuds office, the McMaster Association for Part-Time Students (MAPS) and the Graduate Student Association (GSA). If you look at the website, you will see it has information on residence, coming to Hamilton, finances, campus life and resources, emergency information, graduation information, and a Parent Newsletter.

The Parent Newsletter has issues going back until October of 2003. The newsletters have a wealth of information for parents about how McMaster functions in various ways. They explain what services are available, common issues with students in school, common feelings parents have with their children in university and many more. Issues come out quarterly, so there is a decent amount of archived issues available.

If you are a prospective student (or parent of one) there is information in the issues that you would find informative as well, so I suggest reading them. Furthermore, as a current McMaster student there is probably some stuff about McMaster that would be worthwhile for you to know and you may have missed, so I think you should read them over the summer.

The Parent Newsletter website also lists several other websites which parents and students can check out if they want more information about what has happened, or what is happening currently at McMaster. There are faculty publications, the Sil (which is in dire need of an update by I'd like to mention), Daily News and some others.

Or they could check your Facebook status...ha ha.

Moving Home for the Summer

"Moving Home for the Summer", April 14 2008.

As the academic year is drawing to a close, many of us will be leaving Hamilton to move back home for the next four months.

Leaving university and moving back into the family home can be full of a lot of challenges; not only for you, but for your parents, siblings, and even your pets (really!). However, if you do a few things when you first get home (hopefully) your summer at home will be one with (relatively) little conflict.

University life is pretty awesome, because you get to choose your own rules. Sure, there are some you still need to obey (like the ones in res), as well as the law in general, but for the most part you can live your life exactly how you want to. I know the way I choose to live my life is different than the way I lived when I was at home with my parents before university. Even the way I lived the summers while at home is different than the way I live on my own. I’m sure a lot of you are in the same position. There are things you do now that you didn’t do before. Some of these things your parents may not agree with, which is obviously the issue. What do you do?

Have a talk with your parents. You’re an adult now (unless you’re some sort of freakishly smart kid who started university the same year you celebrated your seventeenth birthday), so you’ve got to act like one so that your parents have mutual respect for you. Find out what your rules are. You may have a curfew again. You may not. Maybe you can get your parents to come to the agreement where they don’t care when you get home, but you have to call if you’re going to stay out past a certain time. Breaking these rules will only cause more conflict, no matter how dumb you think they may be.

There will likely be other similar rules in your house you need to discuss. Can your significant other sleep over? Can they sleep in your bed? If you’re still underage, are you permitted to drink alcohol in the house with their permission? When is it too late to be playing music loudly: 9PM? 10PM? 11PM? Never? What time do you need to have guests leave your house? Of course there all kinds of other rules that you may have had in the past, or may have now...these are just some suggestions based on me and my friends in our experiences at home. You may be incredibly lucky and have no rules at all. Regardless of if you have rules or not, there are some things you should do while at home to show that your time at university has helped you grow up.

If you’re driving the car, fill up the gas tank. I know I hate getting into a car with no gas, and I don’t know anyone who thinks otherwise. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who has been peeved off when they have to fill up the tank in order to go anywhere. Also, don’t use the backseat as a garbage bag. Eeeew.

Volunteer yourself to help out. This can be done by doing the grocery shopping, cooking a meal once a week, washing the car, mowing the lawn, weeding etc. It’ll show your parents you’re taking initiative in helping the family, and that you’ve matured while you are away.

You’re all going to hate me for saying this...but you should also think about possibly contributing to some of the family bills if you are working. This will teach you how to budget your money better, and again show your parents how you’ve grown. 10% of each pay check is a reasonable amount. Maybe you can get your parents to put this money aside for you and give it to you at the end of the summer for a large purchase instead.

Lastly, choose your battles wisely. I think it’s fair to say that you will not see eye to eye the entire time you are there. If there is something you really want, then talk to your parents about it. However, when you are in the discussion with them, have solid rebuttals to back yourself up. Acting like a child will only cause your parents to hold their position more. The key to any relationship, no matter who is involved is compromise, so make sure that you do so this summer.

Good luck!