Most Americans are aware of the significance and reason for celebrating Thanksgiving, but there is a strong possibility that most of the immigrants, international students and even some Americans may not be aware of the contentious past of Thanksgiving. The little importance attached to the roots of this celebration astonished me as an international student experiencing Thanksgiving for the first time.

I had the opportunity to dine with one of the local families this Thanksgiving and observed others who celebrate this federal holiday. The delicious food and the environment of gratitude was an absolute delight to be a part of this year away from my home.

The current celebration of Thanksgiving — on the fourth* Thursday of November — came into tradition in 1863, when then President Abraham Lincoln proposed a national day for Thanksgiving, which was surprisingly in the middle of the American Civil War.

At first the controversial roots came as a surprise; however, when considering the actions taken by colonists against the natives of the country in an attempt to colonize it, the reason for contention associated with this celebration becomes evident.

In fact, some people go to the extent of considering this celebration as a “National Day of Mourning” for the reason stated above. Indeed, under the guise of this celebration, I think people have forgotten, or at least attempted to forget the atrocities committed against the Native American population.

I feel that no celebration should take place by overriding the causes why it came into being. In this case, one of the very important factors associated with this is the genocide (alternatively called ethnic cleansing) of natives by colonists in order to acquire the land America calls its borders today.

There are many points of debate and controversy associated with Thanksgiving. Of the group of people who oppose today’s celebration, some attribute the colonial conquest to the diseases brought by the conquerors to which the natives had no resistance, some attribute them to the wars fought — both with merit.  

Some of these opponents take a much harsher stand and attribute direct action as the factor for systematic annihilation of the native tribes. Whatever be the case, it has been made pretty clear that some unscrupulous methods were involved when colonial forces tried to overtake the country, and hence my detestation of the concept of this celebration.

Thanksgiving is a good celebration which makes an individual grateful for all that they have — although the traditional reason for this celebration is entirely different — but, I also think that due importance needs to be given to the events related to origins of Thanksgiving that took place in the past.

If we ignore the dark parts associated with Thanksgiving and choose to only focus on why we are thankful for all we have, we would be guilty of ignoring or modifying history for our own benefit. This is the most dangerous sin any society can commit. To ignore such a thing would be to neglect the roots of present and no society can ever benefit by doing something like this in the long run.

Our approach should be an unbiased treatment and portrayal and letting people judge for themselves what is proper and what is improper. Not doing so would lead to a partial view of the history which would portray Thanksgiving as only a time of gratitude and celebration which would be unfair to the original inhabitants of this land to say the least.

Thanksgiving must not be regarded only as a festival but also as an occurrence in history, the implications of which are generally ignored, but an unbiased treatment of which may change the perception that people have of this historical occurrence. 

*Editor’s Note: This column has been updated to state that Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November.