Ninth annual Anti-colonial Thanksgiving shines light on First Nations plight.
The ninth annual Anti-colonial Thanksgiving Dinner was held Friday Oct. 18 at the Guelph Youth Music Centre. The event is premised on the idea that traditional Thanksgivings are a celebration of when Europeans settlers killed and robbed the indigenous people of the New World. Since then, indigenous people have faced not only state colonization, but also corporate colonization. This dinner was organized to give thanks and celebrate the fall harvest without paying tribute to a brutal and bloody origin.
The night opened with a blessing of the food that was brought for the dinner – a portion of which was given to nature to feed the ancestors and the earth. The Women’s Drum Circle then performed two songs: the first about thanking the earth, animals, and plants for what they teach and give us; the second about coming together in friendship – a fitting sentiment for any thanksgiving feast. The attendees then heard from several speakers, each who raised questions about legacy of colonialism and how to deal with it in everyday life.
The evening moved on to the dinner portion of the celebration. After the nearly 100 people in attendance went in for second helpings, there was still enough food left to feed an army. Not only did the volunteers organizing the dinner provide enough for everyone, almost every guest brought a homemade dish to add to the feast. There were plenty of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options, as well as various soups, salads and Thanksgiving classics like turkey, potatoes, and pumpkin pie.
Dinner was followed by the raffle-draw. The winner walked away with a beautiful handmade quilt.
The night closed with speakers from diverse backgrounds, including Lee Maracle, an award winning poet and author. Another speaker warned of the consequences of the Line 9 reversal [see pg.5 of the Ontarion for more on Line 9]. A lesson on native midwifery and family-raising was a hit, and information booths were set up by the Ontario Public Interest Research Group, Line 9 protestors, and other environmental and indigenous awareness groups.
Overall, the night was a real success. With an impressive turnout and wonderful meals, the event reminded all in attendance that colonialism still affects everyone, and stressed the need to make good on the damage done.