By Sidedoor | Listen | 27m
Published in November of 2018
SUMMARY: Americans have been fascinated with Native Americans since arriving in the 1600’s. Native American culture, symbols, and names surround us, from mascots to the names of streets and mountains to the packaging of food. In an enlightening interview, the National Museum of the American Indian curator Paul Chaat Smith discusses the need to look at history with nuance, and in the case of Thanksgiving, avoid the oversimplification of both sides of the story.
KEY QUOTE: “For most of the country you never actually see or think about Indians ever. There are no A-list celebrities in the United States. There are no national politicians that dominate the news. There are no captains of industry. Indians are basically invisible – one percent of the country. But from your earliest memories, Indians surround you in the pantry, places, names, highways, cars, weapons systems – Indians are the wallpaper of American life.”
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DID YOU KNOW? We have a learning capsule about Thanksgiving with resources to help faithfully learn about the holiday.
More curated podcasts on Thanksgiving:
PODCAST: The Myths of Thanksgiving
Although the Pilgrims have been centered and elevated in the myth of Thanksgiving that does not mean we should eliminate their narrative nor does it mean we cannot learn from them. History professor Robert Tracy McKenzie dispels some of the common myths associated with the Pilgrims, discusses why it is important to learn the truth…
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PODCAST: What’s the Real History Behind Thanksgiving?
An excellent 25-minute history lesson from author and historian Kenneth C. Davis on the Thanksgiving between the Pilgrims and Wampanoag, which includes facts not taught in many schools. This is a great primer to dispel the myths ingrained in the holiday.
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PODCAST: How to Redeem Thanksgiving
Like many American celebrations, Thanksgiving has been romanticized and mythologized. True, the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims did work together for almost a generation, but the story does not end there – it is messy and complicated. Genocide, white supremacy, and forced boarding schooling are just some of the tactics that were used by white people…
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