holiday of many parents

http://www.pilgrimhall.org/f_thanks.htm nuanced
pilgrim religious freedom

The eldest niece: Although this tradition was born from the horrible deception and tragedy that came to the Native people of this land and we should never forget that, I am really happy that we have turned it to be for good, to be thankful for what we do have, for we never know how long we will have it, how long we will be here to enjoy it, and how long we will have those we love around us.


http://www.pilgrimhall.org/daymourn.htm
http://americanindiansource.com/mourningday.html
Text of Plaque on Cole's Hill
"Since 1970, Native Americans have gathered at noon on Cole's Hill in Plymouth to commemorate a National Day of Mourning on the US Thanksgiving holiday. Many Native Americans do not celebrate the arrival of the Pilgrims and other European settlers. To them, Thanksgiving Day is a reminder of the genocide of millions of their people, the theft of their lands, and the relentless assault on their culture. Participants in a National Day of Mourning honor Native ancestors and the struggles of Native peoples to survive today. It is a day of remembrance and spiritual connection as well as a protest of the racism and oppression which Native Americans continue to experience."


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2012/11/21/lincolns-historic-thanksgiving-proclamation-of-1863/?tid=pm_local_pop Thanksgiving proclamation that Abraham Lincoln issued on Oct. 3, 1863, setting the precedent for the national holiday we celebrate today.