A Racial Justice Guide to Thanksgiving

for Educators and Families

Compiled by Center for Racial Justice in Education

Teaching Approaches

• A Culturally Responsive Approach to Discussing Thanksgiving in The Classroom By Linday Barrett
• Teaching about Thanksgiving By LearnNC (UNC School of Education)
• How Does the TT Community Teach Thanksgiving? By Teaching Tolerance
• Teaching Thanksgiving from a Native American Perspective By Holly Maeder Sheehan (http://www.bigpicture.org)
• Culturally Responsive Instruction for Holiday and Religious Celebrations By Dr. Cynthia Lundgren & Giselle Lundy-Ponce
• Teaching Culturally Sensitive Holidays By Sherry Posnick-Goodwin (California Teachers Associations)
• Teaching Thanksgiving in a Socially Responsible Way By Teaching Tolerance
• Teaching Thanksgiving from the Perspective of Native Americans By Christina “Krea” Gomez
• Decolonizing Thanksgiving: A Toolkit for Combatting Racism in Schools By Lindsey Passenger Wieck

Lesson Plans/ Study Guides

• Thanksgiving Mourning (Lesson Plan) By Teaching Tolerance
• Relearning Thanksgiving (Lesson Plan) By ArtsandJustice.org
• Myth and Truth: The "First Thanksgiving" (Lesson Plan) By readwritethink.org
• Celebrations of the Wampanoag Tribe (Lesson Plan) By WampanoagTribe.net
• Re-Thinking Thanksgiving: The Complete Story of an American Holiday (Graphic Organizers) By New York News Publishers Association
• Thanksgiving Interactive: You are the Historian By Plimoth Plantation
• Harvest Ceremony Beyond the Thanksgiving Myth: A Study Guide By The National Museum of the American Indian
• #StandingRockSyllabus, NYC Stands with Standing Rock

Native American Perspectives, Contributions and Celebrations

• Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address By DanceForAllPeople.com
• Native American Contributions to the U.S. By Partnership with Native Americans
• Thanksgiving POV By Native American Heritage Programs
• American Indian Perspectives on Thanksgiving By The National Museum of the American Indian
• For Many Native Americans, Thanksgiving is a Day of Mourning By The Boston Globe
• Do American Indians celebrate Thanksgiving? By The National Museum of the American Indian
• Do Native Americans Celebrate Thanksgiving and Should You? By Nadra Kareem Nittle
• No thanks for Thanksgiving (Podcast) By NativeAmericaCalling.com

Historical Resources

• No Thanks: How Thanksgiving Narratives Erase the Genocide of Native Peoples By Joanne Barker
• Re-Thinking Thanksgiving: Myths & Misgivings By Rethinking Schools
• After the Mayflower (Video) By WGBH Educational Foundation
• Thanksgiving and the Conundrum of Cultural Racism By Scot Nakagawa

Resources for Families

• A Letter to Parents About Thanksgiving By Understanding Prejudice.org
• 10 Ways to Make Your Thanksgiving About Social and Environmental Justice By Eve Bratman

Book Lists

• Beyond the So-Called First Thanksgiving: 5 Children’s Books That Set the Record Straight By Indian Country Today
• Deconstructing the Myths of "The First Thanksgiving" (Resources) By Oyate.Org