Thanksgiving-A Day of Celebration or A Day of Mourning

Thanksgiving to many New England Native American people is not a day to celebrate in the traditional sense, it is a day to mourn the losses and remember those who sacrificed their lives to be sovereign and free of the genocidal horrors brought on by the English settlers. European exploration, kidnappings and enslavement, conquest and colonialism, oppression and dehumanization are the experiences that have been passed down though the generations. Professor Julieanne Jennings is our guest. She is a Cheroenhaka Nottoway Indian. Julieanne Jennings is an adjunct professor of Anthropology at Eastern Connecticut State University and Rhode Island College. Join us as we discuss how the Thanksgiving season is always challenging because the truth about Thanksgiving has been glossed over in the history books and the media. Most Americans do not realize that the events that happened after the arrival of the English Settlers were brutal. We will discuss the historical psychic trauma that Native American, African American and American people throughout this society had to deal with. We will look at this painful history of the founders of this American system that has not been told truthfully. Some American people feel that Native people and African Americans should get over it and move on. Many do not understand that we are all suffering because of these omissions. In order to heal we must look at the facts and face the truth. Let the healing begin! Julieanne Jennings is an author of several books, artist, actress, storyteller, song writer and musician. Julieanne Jennings is the 2009 recipient of the Extraordinary Woman Award.