A Thanksgiving Message

I recently had to explain to a nice fellow from Switzerland the meaning of Thanksgiving here in the US. It was interesting to explain this...

The simplest & easiest way to explain the origins of Thanksgiving
A long time ago some folks came across the ocean to a "New Land", they nearly starved to death so some local Indians took pity on them and fed them and then taught them how to survive. Thanksgiving was created to commemorate this event.

Truth & The Future
We all know the truth of things...as a Native American person, I am a firm believer in the "truth" because it will set us all free. We know that there was a very sordid history that followed and we are still clawing our way out of the darkest part of American history.

But folks, do not despair, we are still here and we are still striving for a bright future. We can't change the past, but we can influence the future with such positive events as our recent, powerful, Language Summit.

Native speaking folks from all across Indian country came together to share how they are making a difference to preserve the most ancient languages of this continent. These folks encourage the learning and keeping of ancient language and culture and make it possible to see a bright future on the horizon.

By preserving this part of our American History, we take a step closer to healing some of the injustices. By showing the way for our youth, we are positively influencing our future.

My Thanksgiving Message
I am going to rejoice with my family and my generations and keep an eye on that bright future. Le anpetu ki wo waste yuha (There is goodness in this day)...So enjoy your family and remember all we do have to be thankful for.

Toksa!
Rose