For some, Thanksgiving is a day of turkey, parades, and awkward political debates with family. For others, the fourth Thursday in November represents more pain than pie.
Miccosukee Tribal Secretary William J. Osceola shared how his community's relationship with the national holiday has evolved.
"For the tribe, we actually used to celebrate Thanksgiving for a long time. It was just an opportunity for the community to come together, have a party, and eat," Osceola said. "Actually, we've shifted away from that."
The Miccosukee community now hosts “Fall Fest,” a celebration that skips the turkey and the fabled harmonious 1621 feast.
"So much of American history is confused for American mythology," Osceola said. "I always feel a little bit nervous when they just want to highlight that, when there's real history to be learned."
For some Native Americans, avoiding Thanksgiving isn’t just about rejecting myths — it’s about mutiny. Miccosukee tribal member Cayla Willie says the holiday has become an opportunity to create her own traditions.
"I have not cooked anything on Thanksgiving for the past 20 years or so," Willie said. "I was just being a rebel and didn’t want to do it. I cook for my family all year-round. I take it as an Indigenous Day — an Indigenous Day Off."
Having grown up on the Miccosukee reserves, Willie recalls the contradictions taught in history class.
"Everything is the same because we have to follow the same school curriculum as the state," Willie said. "Even if we know they’re inaccurate, we have to put it on there. That was really hard. I had teachers asking me questions about certain issues, especially around Thanksgiving, to get a more accurate history of Florida and the Natives here. But they did say, ‘Please do put in the answers that are in the book to make sure you pass.’"
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