Intertribal group meets in Jamesburg
by Davy James, Special Writer
JAMESBURG — As Thanksgiving approaches, the traditional images of Pilgrims and American Indians celebrating the first Thanksgiving can be found everywhere, from television to children acting in school plays.
But some American Indian tribes say the modern depiction of their people’s role in Thanksgiving comes from an uninformed point of view. The Intertribal American Indians of New Jersey met Saturday at Thompson Park in Jamesburg to discuss some of the problems with the image of the American Indian at Thanksgiving.
The Intertribal American Indians of New Jersey meets once a month in the log cabin at Thompson Park to discuss the various issues confronting them and to share their culture with the public.
The discussion touched on many of the problems with the portrayal of American Indians, from Thanksgiving representations to the mascots of sports teams.
”A lot of the images perpetuate negative stereotypes,” said K. Helen Rende, a Kahnawake Mohawk and vice president of the organization. “We don’t feel honored by other people wearing costumes, it’s very hurtful.”
Images such as the tom-tom drum and the feathered headdresses shown being worn by many American Indians during Thanksgiving can give false impressions, Ms. Rende said.
”I would like to see a truer history told to all grade levels in school about Thanksgiving and the contributions of American Indians,” said Brenda Davis, of East Brunswick resident, a Six Nations Mohawk and the organization’s treasurer.
”Wherever it’s being taught, they need to find out about the Indians of that area and how they lived, dressed and spoke,” Ms. Davis said. “The Wampanoag Indians, who were at the first Thanksgiving in New England, didn’t wear what we call war bonnet. That wasn’t worn in that part of the country.”
Ms. Davis’ husband Marvin, who serves as the organization’s president, said American Indians did play an important role in helping the Pilgrims.
”The Pilgrims were dying off,” said Mr. Davis. “The native people showed them what to grow and how to sustain in that harsh environment.”
Many of the problems with perception start at the grade school level, with the misinformation taught to children in school, members of the group said.
”Teachers would give completely wrong information,” said Rebecca Shield, 19, an East Brunswick resident who is half Lakota-Sioux. “I’d tell my parents and they would have to go back and correct the teacher, which is ridiculous because it’s a school.”
Some of the perceptions of American Indians held by the public can affect self-esteem as well, she said.
”After a while, I’d be afraid to speak up,” Ms. Shield said. “Kids would say ‘you guys don’t really exist anymore,’ and the thing is we do. People see us as something in the past.”
To the American Indian, what we now call Thanksgiving wasn’t just a November holiday.
”Celebrations and giving thanks weren’t just once a year,” Mr. Davis said. “The season’s changing was a time of renewal and a cause of celebration.”
Still, Thanksgiving represents the gathering of family and giving thanks, regardless of the false impressions implied about American Indians.
”Family was always important in tribes and groups,” said Mr. Davis. “That was the best reason for giving thanks. And that’s very similar to what we celebrate today, Thanksgiving as we know it.”
One of the major messages of the discussion was to take the past and use it as a bridge to the future and educate the public on the other side of Thanksgiving.
”We don’t put a negative spin on life,” Mr. Davis said. “That’s why we’re here today, to give our side of the story. I don’t hate Thanksgiving, I live in a culture that promotes being thankful. Our thankfulness comes from our mother, Mother Earth, which is what sustains us.”