Please Pass The Cultural Misrepresentation

“Baby, can you say ‘indigenous’?”

The week before Thanksgiving, I was unpacking my daughter’s backpack and pulled a few things out- a tissue paper turkey, a reading page about being thankful, a laminated placemat where she dictated the things she’s grateful for (Mama, Daddy, the cat, her whole family)... and one rainbow-colored feather headdress.

“What’s this baby girl?”, I ask her as I hold up her unevenly cut and heavily glued creation. She beamed with pride and said, “It’s my headband, Mama. I was a Wampanoag today!” Apparently, the classes had a celebration and some children had Ladies’ Pilgrim style bonnets. Some had on the Men’s Black Pilgrim hat with the buckle. Some had their very own feather headdress. I struggled to conceal my disgust. 

Let me be sure to say that I really like her school. They get alot of things right. But this shit right here? Are we really still doing this? Proudly?

You mean to tell me that no one whispered,

“Hey, that’s inappropriate. Not to mention, inaccurate”?

Nobody? 

I’m not an indigenous person. I think I only know 2 people who claim tribal roots and celebrate their heritage. I am ashamedly and admittedly very ignorant of much about the history of even the native tribes that originally inhabited my own state. But I do know that there is great significance in the headdress. When it is worn, by whom it is worn and why. Similar to the head coverings of other religious and cultural groups, there is great significance. Just as you wouldn’t randomly dress kids up in Hijabs, Tichels and Yarmulkes, you shouldn’t have them running around in native headdresses either. 

The story of “Indian/Pilgrim Thanksgiving” is so fraught with misinformation and deception, I feel like I’m still digging to get to the truth. Add the layers with which the story has been taught in schools, the whole scenario is a Euro-centric, white supremacy laden mess. I expect our children to be taught what is true. Not a sanitized, white-washed version of events that makes the majority culture feel comfortable. 

 If you’re not sure how to handle all of this, skip it! Keep Thanksgiving about harvest, family, gratitude and service to others. There are plenty of things to celebrate that don’t involve using someone’s cultural attributes as a costume. 

Here’s an idea! Schools can provide a comprehensive social studies curriculum that allows children to research and learn about (at the very least) the indigenous people of their state. With guidance, students can learn at an age-appropriate level, what the names mean, where folks lived, how they lived, the cultural celebrations and what happened to the First Nations. Why save the learning for November? I’m pretty sure native peoples enjoyed the spring and summer just like we do!

“Baby, can you say ‘indigenous”?

“In-jij-en-us. What’s that mean Mama?”

“It means original. The first. The Wampanoags are the indigenous people here. They were here first. Did your class learn that the Pilgrims stole the land from the Wampanoags?”

“NO! They did NOT tell us THAT!”

You gon’ learn today baby girl!