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A Thanksgiving Address
greetings to the natural world
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Today, as Americans, we gather with family and friends, to feast and share in the joy of all that we have worked hard for, received abundantly, and hold gratitude for in our hearts.
Tonight, by the light of the full moon, when bellies are full and hearts are singing, consider taking a minute out of your holiday to look up and shed some light on the dark truths behind this happy American holiday.
Because truth is, it's safe to say nearly everything you learned about the first Thanksgiving from your high school history teacher is a white-washed fairytale of what actually took place. Growing up in Southeastern Virginia, where field trips to Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg were a frequented thing, I thought the Native Americans and Colonists were just the best of friends and really, truly worked together to make America into the great country it is today. That illusion was dismantled when I moved to NYC, and through friendships and broadening of cultural education, learned the horror stories of how we basically used the Native Americans for our own gain then discarded them like single-use coffee cups...oh, how strikingly American of us.
And this is why today, I have chosen to share a prayer from the Haudenosaunee people that was shared with me two winter’s ago. The sentiments held in this prayer are ones that deeply resonated with my own perspectives on what it means to be a human who honors the interconnected nature of all things - the web of life.
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May you have plenty to hold gratitude in your heart for,
today,
& all time to follow.
Luminous love,
Jessica
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