Should teachers show a "truthful" Thanksgiving?
Categories: Education
One of my earliest memories of school is sitting at my desk in the first grade, tracing my hand onto paper and coloring it to look like a turkey.There's a chance if I was in the first grade today, there would be less talk about turkeys and more talk of oppression. For example, one California teacher walked into his third grade classroom wearing a pilgrim hat. He then walked through the class, taking things such as pencils and glue sticks from his students, saying he "discovered" them and they now belong to him.
Teachers across the country, with American Thanksgiving happening this Thursday, have been faced with how to teach the story of the pilgrims and the Indians to students. Do we let them believe that everyone loved each other and had a good time, or do you tell of fighting, hardship and struggles?
"He is teaching his students to hate their country," said a spokesperson for Concerned Women for America. "That is a very distorted view of history, a distorted view of Thanksgiving."
The issue gets tougher when it comes to American Indians and how they believe Thanksgiving should be taught. Some want an accurate portrayal while others want for children to remain innocent. Some are anti-feathers, which are considered sacred, for costumes while others do not want any re-enactments among the students.
What do you think? How does your child's school treat the issue of Thanksgiving?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ginny 11-22-2006 @ 3:36PM
My 5 year old daughter's school is owned by a Native American. She teaches them Indian (her word) dances; about the Indian way of life; where they lived; she lets them earn feathers and they all get an Indian name. They also made the typical "hand turkey" and pilgrim hat. This is pre school tho, so I imagine they didn't get too deep into the "real" story.
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thordora 11-22-2006 @ 3:45PM
Up here, it's more of a harvest festival, which I've always appreciated. Knowing the history behind the US, I was always queasy with the "glorious settlement" stories.
But how young is too young for that story? Hard to say. Or are they ever too young for the truth?
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momma2mingbu 11-22-2006 @ 5:03PM
Has anyone here read, "Lies My Teacher Told Me" which touches on this period in history? Very interesting.
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R Biernesser 11-22-2006 @ 11:44PM
I'm a room mom in my son's kindergarten and we ust had a KIndergarten Thanksgiving feast. Our kids dressed like Indians and had Indian names. Others were dressed as Indians or Pilgrims and they had a "feast" (popcorn, rolls, turkey slices, pudding, and cheese). This year we had a Native AMerican come adn talk to the children and he sang them songs and showed them the snake dance. The children had fun eating and listening and learning the dance.
Children are innocent and I say let them believe what they are taught. AS they get older, they will learn that Our country's background was not always pretty.
The fact of the matter is, the Indains and Pilgrims did celebrate together and that want first started Thanksgiving
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High School Teacher 11-26-2006 @ 4:49AM
I have never lied to my older students regarding our country's past treatment of Native Americans or other "minorities". That would be unfair to me (being that I am a member of a "minority" group)and my students. And while I have never lied to my younger students (I taught elementary grades as well)I never dwelled on the negative aspects of this country's past. I would say things like, "The pilgrims weren't always kind to Native Americans, however . . ." Children should be children, but never deny the truth. The truth should be told and there are age appropriate ways to explain it.
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May 11-23-2006 @ 10:57AM
If Thanksgiving is going to be depicted and spoken about in schools as Pilgrims/Native Americans occasion, then I believe it should definitely be taught truthfully. The Native Americans have suffered so much and deserve to have their history taught the way it happened.
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