In the United States, millions of families sit around their dinner table on the fourth Thursday of November to express their gratitude and reflect as the year is coming to a close. This ritual traces back to celebratory harvest festivals hosted by indigenous people in North America as early as the 16th century. However, the notion of the first Thanksgiving would not have been a joyous meal between cultures, but instead one riddled with conflicts and rivalries.
In some indigenous communities, Thanksgiving is considered a day of mourning. It is an opportunity to remember ancestral history and to protest ongoing oppression. In fact, there is an annual gathering at Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts on Thanksgiving that has commemorated this National Day of Mourning since 1970. The National Museum of the Native Americans also has a pamphlet and webpage providing more indigenous perspective this holiday season.
In Florida, we continue to see indigenous culture erased and mistreated, including recent steps by Governor DeSantis to influence education through the Stop Learning Act that impacts teachers’ ability to accurately discuss the history of indigenous people. This systematic damage extends to indigenous artifacts, sacred lands, and more. The immense harm we have witnessed does not exist only in our history, but persists into present-day, too.
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we can hold space for gratitude, but it is equally important to recognize the erasure of indigenous communities that established this day in our society. We must commit to collective action that will honor and respect indigenous culture, and acknowledge that our spirit of “thanks” this season is also wrought with heartache for others.
In the days ahead, we invite you to participate in some of the events below that will take place in Central Florida and to explore resources dedicated exclusively to indigenous solidarity.
EVENTS HAPPENING SOON
Thanksgiving for the Homeless
Event Name: Thanksgiving for the Homeless
Description: This is a community outreach event to help the homeless with a Thanksgiving meal, clothes, haircuts, assistance with job placement, food stamps, housing, and more.
Location: Lake Eola Park, 195 N Rosalind Ave, Orlando, FL 32801
Date & Time: Saturday, November 19, 2022, from 12:00 PM – 04:00 PM
Thanksgiving Box of Love Food Drive
Event Name: Thanksgiving Box of Love Food Drive
Description: Spirit of Joy Ministries in Orlando, Florida is leading a food drive for the Thanksgiving holiday for those in Central Florida who are in need. During this event, volunteers will put together “boxes of love”.
Location: 1030 Kaley Avenue Orlando, FL 32805
Date & Time: Saturday, November 19, 2022, from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Community Love Feast
Event Name: Community Love Feast
Description: Community Love Feast provides an opportunity to learn more about the resources located in the area, ask questions that help better understand different medications, address stigmas to assist an individual’s mental health, and formulate a support system that can eradicate the loneliness created due to unfortunate circumstances. There will be home-cooked dishes and holiday music all through the night.
Location: Kaley Square, 1030 West Kaley Ave, Orlando, FL 32805
Date & Time: Saturday, November 19, 2022, from 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Thanksgiving With A Friend
Event Name: Thanksgiving With A Friend
Description: The Desire Foundation is in need of barbers, hair stylists, food supplies, and volunteers for this vent and is offering free haircuts, hygiene products, clean clothing, government IDs, and medical items for those who are in need.
Location: 814 Church Street Orlando FL
Date & Time: Wednesday, November 23rd, 2022, from 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Vegan Thanksgiving Festival
Event Name: Vegan Thanksgiving Festival
Description: This community event at Persimmon Hollow Brewing Company will provide the local community with a holiday feast, themed vendors, live music, and games!
Location: Persimmon Hollow Brewing Company, 227 N Eola Dr, Orlando, FL 32801
Date & Time: Saturday, November 26, 2022, from 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Thanksgiving Festival
Event Name: Thanksgiving Festival
Description: Conway United Methodist Church is hosting a free Thanksgiving festival for the whole family. Food, fun games to play with the family, and gifts will be provided!
Location: Conway United Methodist Church, 3401 S Conway Road, Orlando, FL 32812
Date & Time: Sunday, November 27, 2022, from 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM
RESOURCES ABOUT THANKSGIVING HISTORY