Thanksgiving: A Complex Legacy of Genocide and Its Impact on Latin Culture

A brief overview of the lasting impacts of a genocide

The traditional narrative of Thanksgiving in the United States paints a picture of unity and gratitude between Pilgrims and Native Americans. This story, often perpetuated in schools and public discourse, emphasizes the survival of early settlers with the help of Indigenous peoples, particularly the Wampanoag. However, this sanitized version obscures a much darker reality.

For Native Americans, Thanksgiving marks the beginning of centuries of colonial violence, displacement, and genocide that decimated their populations and cultures. The implications of this history extend beyond Native communities, deeply resonating with Latinx cultures, particularly those with Indigenous roots.

The Wampanoag people, led by Chief Massasoit, entered into an uneasy alliance with the Pilgrims in 1621, providing food and knowledge that helped the settlers survive their first winter. However, this relationship quickly soured. European settlers brought diseases like smallpox, which wiped out as much as 90% of the Native population in the region within the first century of contact. By the late 17th century, King Philip’s War (1675–1676), one of the deadliest conflicts in U.S. history per capita, led to the deaths of thousands of Native people. The war ended with the execution of Metacom (King Philip), Chief Massasoit’s son, and the enslavement of surviving Wampanoag men, women, and children. These events laid the foundation for the systemic marginalization of Native peoples that persists today.

(Image Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Massasoit)

The brutal history behind Thanksgiving and its connections to the genocide of Indigenous peoples is a stark reminder of the colonial violence that shaped the history of the Americas. For Native Americans, Thanksgiving marks not just a moment of forced cooperation, but the beginning of a violent era in which their cultures and populations were systematically destroyed. As European settlers established their foothold, they imposed colonial systems that aimed to erase Indigenous presence through displacement, forced assimilation, and violent conquest. This narrative of colonization continues to reverberate across the continent, particularly within Latinx communities in the U.S. who share similar histories of colonization and cultural erasure. In fact, the impact of colonization in Latin America—beginning with Spanish and Portuguese conquest—has deeply shaped the Latinx identity, especially for those with Indigenous ancestry. Latinx communities, many of whom trace their roots to Indigenous peoples from regions such as Mexico, Central America, and South America, carry the weight of both historical trauma and survival. The atrocities committed by European colonizers in Latin America mirror the violent legacy faced by Native Americans in what is now the United States.

Spanish colonization in the Americas led to the deaths of an estimated 56 million Indigenous people within the first century of European contact, a genocide largely driven by the introduction of deadly diseases, forced labor under the encomienda system, and violent conquest. In Mexico, the once-thriving Indigenous population of approximately 25 million in 1519 was decimated to around 1 million by 1600. This demographic collapse was not merely a result of disease, but also of the systematic efforts to enslave, exploit, and eliminate Indigenous populations. For the descendants of these Indigenous peoples—many of whom now identify as Latinx in the United States— Thanksgiving is a painful reminder of the cycles of violence and survival that their ancestors endured.

Native Americans, who make up about 2.9% of the U.S. population as of the 2020 Census, continue to fight for sovereignty, land rights, and the preservation of their languages and traditions: a silent battle hardly acknowledged by many. Similarly, many Latinx individuals, representing over 60 million people in the U.S., work to reclaim and celebrate their Indigenous heritage, challenging stereotypes and advocating for representation. The ongoing struggles for land, sovereignty, and recognition that Indigenous communities face in Latin America continue to resonate with the Latinx population in the U.S. who remain connected to their Indigenous heritage.

This intersection of Native American and Latinx histories underlines how colonial violence and genocide are not distant, isolated events, but have ongoing consequences for both communities. It forces communities to confront uncomfortable truths about the origins of U.S. history and the continuing legacies of colonial violence that shape the lives of Native and Latinx peoples today. To truly honor the histories of both communities, education must move beyond simplistic narratives and acknowledge the painful truths of colonization, genocide, and survival. In doing so, we can foster a more honest and empathetic understanding of our collective history and its implications for the present day.

In the aftermath of the initial violence and displacement caused by European settlers, Native peoples across North America were subjected to centuries of systemic oppression, forced removals, and destruction of their cultures. The myth of Thanksgiving, which often presents a rosy image of peaceful coexistence, obscures the brutal reality of Native American survival in a world where their land, sovereignty, and ways of life were constantly under attack. After King Philip’s War, which decimated the Wampanoag and many other Indigenous nations, the colonial powers continued their efforts to erase Indigenous identity. The forced relocation of Native populations, such as the Trail of Tears in the 1830s, further illustrates the genocidal policies that sought to uproot and destroy entire communities. Even in the 20th century, policies such as the Indian Boarding School system, where Native children were forcibly taken from their families and forced to assimilate into Euro-American culture, perpetuated this erasure. These historical injustices—many of which are still ongoing—are integral to understanding the full weight of the Thanksgiving myth, as it glosses over centuries of Indigenous suffering and survival.

The struggle for a more accurate history of Thanksgiving is part of a broader movement to recognize the ongoing impacts of colonialism and to center Indigenous voices in the telling of American and Latin American history. For too long, the dominant narrative has been one of settler triumph, ignoring or downplaying the genocide that enabled the creation of the United States. As students learn about Thanksgiving, it is crucial that they are exposed to the historical facts about Indigenous peoples’ resistance, survival, and contributions to the Americas. By exploring the shared histories of Indigenous and Latinx communities, there can be a step forward in understanding the interconnectedness of these struggles and the importance of collective action in the fight for justice and equity.

Thanksgiving, in this context, becomes not just a day of historical reflection, but an opportunity to honor the resilience of Native and Latinx peoples and to continue the work of decolonization.

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