Alexandra Mejia’s Post

As Thanksgiving approaches, many of us gather to celebrate gratitude, family, and togetherness. But this is also an important time to reflect on the deeper history of this holiday. For Indigenous communities in the U.S., Thanksgiving can remind them of the colonization, displacement, and suffering their ancestors endured. This is why many now observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day alongside or instead of Thanksgiving. This shift in language seeks to acknowledge Indigenous resilience, honor their cultures, and confront the injustices they've faced and continue to endure. Today, Indigenous communities continue to contribute richly to our society while also fighting for their rights. Many still struggle with systemic issues such as access to healthcare, education, and clean water, as well as the fight to reclaim stolen lands and protect sacred spaces. Yet, Indigenous voices are powerful, leading movements to protect the environment, preserve traditional practices, and demand justice. As we celebrate this season, let’s take time to learn from Indigenous stories and support their communities. You can: - Educate yourself on Indigenous history and cultures. - Promote Indigenous voices and businesses. - Support organizations working for Indigenous rights. Gratitude is at the heart of many Indigenous traditions, and it goes hand in hand with respect for the land, its people, and their history. Let’s honor that spirit by standing in solidarity and gratitude with Indigenous peoples. #mindfulinsights #mindfulnesswithsasha #indigenous #indigenouspeoplesday #indigenouspeople #indigenousrights #IndigenousRising #indigenousday #indigenousamericans #Indigenousland #indigenoushealth #indigenouswisdom #indigenoushistory #gratitude #gratitudeattitude #gratitudeisthebestattitude #gratitudechallenge #gratitudedaily #gratitudeadventure #gratitudeeveryday #gratitude365 #gratitudeismygrowth #gratitudespeak #gratitudeisanattitude #gratitudepractice #native #nativeamerican #nativepride #grateful #honor #traditions #sacredland https://wix.to/Ks0uK48

The traditional narrative of Thanksgiving in the United States paints a picture of unity and gratitude between Pilgrims and Native Americans. This story, often perpetuated in schools and public discourse, emphasizes the survival of early settlers with the help of Indigenous peoples, particularly the Wampanoag. However, this sanitized version obscures a much darker reality. For Native Americans, Thanksgiving marks the beginning of centuries of colonial violence, displacement, and genocide that decimated their populations and cultures. The implications of this history extend beyond Native communities, deeply resonating with Latinx cultures, particularly those with Indigenous roots. https://lnkd.in/esrCPwVh

For Indigenous peoples, Thanksgiving often carries a different significance than the traditional American narrative of pilgrims and Native Americans coming together in harmony. The real meaning of Thanksgiving for many Indigenous communities is rooted in a complex history of colonization, displacement, and trauma. 1. **A Day of Mourning**: For many Native Americans, Thanksgiving is a day of mourning, reflecting on the history of colonization that began with the arrival of Europeans in the Americas. This includes the loss of land, culture, and life through violence, disease, forced assimilation, and broken treaties. The first Thanksgiving, often romanticized in mainstream narratives, was not a peaceful gathering but part of a long history of dispossession for Indigenous peoples. 2. **Survival and Resilience**: Thanksgiving also serves as a reminder of the survival, resilience, and strength of Indigenous communities despite centuries of colonization and oppression. It is a time for many to honor their ancestors and celebrate their cultural practices, languages, and traditions that have endured. 3. **Cultural Education and Awareness**: Some Indigenous people use Thanksgiving as an opportunity to educate others about the real history and its impact on Indigenous communities. This includes highlighting the importance of truth and reconciliation, and urging people to reflect on how they can support Indigenous rights and sovereignty. In short, Thanksgiving for Indigenous peoples is a complex and often painful reminder of the long history of colonization, but also an opportunity to reflect on Indigenous survival, resilience, and the ongoing struggle for justice and recognition.

**Exploring the Multifaceted Celebration of Christmas** Christmas, marked on December 25, has evolved into a complex festival intertwining religious reverence with rich cultural traditions across the globe. The global tradition of gift-giving, which has transitioned from symbolic religious origins to a key cultural practice, highlights the blend of historical and modern customs shaping the holiday. From Ethiopia's fasting rituals and unique games to Belarus's blend of Christian and folk traditions, the diverse observances illustrate the varied ways communities embrace Christmas. For businesses, this season underscores a significant economic opportunity driven by the burgeoning practice of gift-giving. How does your cultural or organizational framework navigate the interplay of tradition and commerciality during the festive season?

The month of November is known as National Native American Heritage Month. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs, "It is a time to celebrate the traditions, languages and stories of Native American and Alaska Native communities and ensure their rich histories and contributions continue to thrive with each passing generation." For more information, visit https://www.bia.gov/NNAHM. The day after Thanksgiving also tends to be acknowledged as Native American Heritage Day. However, for many Indigenous people, this is not a day for celebration. For one, having it fall on Black Friday, a day seen as promoting greed and materialism, is considered in poor taste. Additionally, there is criticism about it falling on the day after Thanksgiving, which, in many Indigenous communities, is considered a National Day of Mourning. This is where Native American tribes protest and raise awareness about their history and current struggles as well as dispel myths about the original Thanksgiving story. The intersection of these two acknowledgements shows that there is much we can still learn and plenty of opportunities for education about our Indigenous communities. #NationalNativeAmericanHeritageMonth #NNAHM #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth #NativeAmericanHeritageDay #NationalDayOfMourning #Thanksgiving #BlackFriday #NativeAmerican #NativeAmericans #Indigenous #IndigenousCulture #IndigenousHeritage #NativeAmericanHeritage #History #Heritage

Thanksgiving and Christmas are often associated with joy and unity, yet their histories reveal a deeper story shaped by violence and cultural transformations. "Bloodstained Holidays: Reflecting on the Violent Origins of Thanksgiving and Christmas" revisits these past events, offering a perspective on how they continue to influence modern celebrations. #festivehistory #culturalanalysis #thanksgivingandchristmas #hiddenpast #historicalcontext #legacyofholidays

On being #grateful Thanksgiving. We’re told it’s a time for gratitude and togetherness, but the truth is far more complex. This holiday, glorified in Western tradition, masks a painful history—one rooted in occupation and colonization. It celebrates the whitewashing of language, stories, and humanity itself. As the West continues to manipulate media and ignore the past, they keep us ignorant—celebrating a tradition that hides centuries of violence and oppression. And while they rewrite history, they are still settling lands that belong to others—bombing places like Palestine, Lebanon, and beyond. True gratitude is about more than a holiday. It’s about finding the peace within to treat everyone equitably—to honour every life, every culture, with dignity and respect. Today and every day, let’s be grateful for one thing: the removal of our blinders. Let’s open our eyes to the reality that we must stand together in treating everyone with the respect, humanity, and justice they deserve. Let’s be the change. #emotionalintelligence #awareness #thanksgiving #colonization #dignity

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐢𝐝 𝐞 𝐆𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲'𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐮𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. 𝐄𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐢𝐝 𝐞 𝐆𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐯𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐞. Here are key lessons we can learn from the Mashhad community's celebration of Eid e Ghadeer: Preserve Heritage: Actively maintain and pass down traditions to keep cultural and religious heritage alive. Foster Unity: Engage all community members in cultural events to strengthen communal bonds and shared identity. Educate Continuously: Teach the significance and history of traditions to ensure they are well understood and valued. Imbue Meaning: Ensure rituals are deeply meaningful and not just formalities to connect with the past and impart valuable lessons. Involve Youth: Involve children in cultural practices to foster a sense of responsibility and pride in their heritage.

Thanksgiving and the National Day of Mourning serve as powerful reminders of the importance of gratitude, reflection, and understanding. While many celebrate Thanksgiving as a time to gather with loved ones and express gratitude, the National Day of Mourning highlights the experiences and resilience of Indigenous communities impacted by colonization. This dual perspective invites us to hold space for celebration while also honoring the truths of history. It’s a moment to reflect on how we can support reconciliation, uplift Indigenous voices, and commit to more inclusive and equitable communities. Let’s embrace both gratitude and responsibility as we move forward together. #Thanksgiving2024 #NationalDayOfMourning #IndigenousHistory #GratitudeAndReflection #ReconciliationAndInclusion #NationalDayOfMourning #ThanksgivingReflection #IndigenousVoices #EquityAndJustice #DEI