Indigenous People’s Day | Steph Littlebird | @artnerdforever
Every November, people across the United States encounter two simultaneous cultural touchpoints: Indigenous Peoples Month and the national holiday of Thanksgiving. On one hand, November is a time intentionally dedicated to recognizing the history, cultural continuity, resilience, and sovereignty of Indigenous Nations. On the other, Thanksgiving often arrives wrapped in a romanticized, mythologized story about peaceful beginnings that glosses over centuries of colonization and trauma.
Bringing these two observances into conscious dialogue invites reflection: not guilt, but responsibility; not shame, but awareness; not erasure, but visibility. This article dives deeply into the origins and significance of Indigenous Peoples Month, the complexities of Thanksgiving, the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), practical ways to reframe the holiday, and a grounding gratitude ritual.
This is by no means even remotely comprehensive enough of a breakdown of all the history, violence, and current state of affairs of Indigenous folx of the US, but rather our little contribution of knowledge, acknowledgment and hope to instill a little more empathy for our Indigenous siblings. We encourage you to reflect and research on your own this rather convoluted mix of histories.
🔸A More Complete History of Indigenous Peoples Month🔸
Although November is now widely recognized as National Native American Heritage Month (also called Indigenous Peoples Month), the journey to this official designation spans more than a century and reflects ongoing Native-led advocacy for visibility and self-representation.
Early 20th Century Indigenous Leadership
The earliest recognitions came from Indigenous leaders themselves. In 1915, the American Indian Association, led by Dr. Arthur C. Parker (Seneca), formally declared an “American Indian Day.” Several states adopted their own commemorative days shortly after — though these early recognitions often reflected paternalistic ideas rather than Indigenous self-determination.
The Shift to Federal Recognition
In the civil rights era of the 1960s and 70s, Indigenous activists, educators, and tribal nations pushed for national acknowledgement that reflected Indigenous histories and modern realities.
Why November? The 11th Month’s Contemporary Purpose
The month was intentionally chosen to align with traditional harvest periods and Indigenous veterans' commemorations. It is a time historically associated with reflection, transition, and honoring.
Today, the month serves several intertwined goals:
Organizations such as First Nations Development Institute emphasize that Indigenous Peoples Month is not only a time for celebration but an invitation to deepen understanding and take meaningful action year-round.
🔸Why Thanksgiving Is Historically and Culturally Problematic🔸
Many people grow up learning a simplified version of the 1621 harvest feast between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag. While a feast did occur, the mainstream narrative hides far more than it reveals — and this is why Thanksgiving can be painful or harmful for many Indigenous people.
1. The Myth Erases Real History
The traditional Thanksgiving story portrays English settlers and Wampanoag people as harmonious partners sharing a meal. In reality:
The popular tale functions as a national origin myth that centers settlers, marginalizes Indigenous agency, and avoids accountability.
2. Thanksgiving Overlooks the Consequences of Colonization
After the 1620s, colonial expansion accelerated rapidly:
None of this is reflected in the Thanksgiving myth — which is why the holiday can feel dismissive or painful to many.
Queen Liliʻuokalani, the last Queen of Hawaii
Prisma Bildagentur | Universal Images Group via Getty Images
3. For Many Indigenous People, Thanksgiving Is a Day of Mourning
Since 1970, Indigenous activists and allies have gathered in Plymouth, Massachusetts, for the National Day of Mourning, a demonstration honoring Indigenous ancestors and acknowledging ongoing oppression. For these communities, Thanksgiving represents:
4. The Myth Reinforces a One-Sided National Identity
By portraying colonization as peaceful and cooperative, the Thanksgiving story:
Re-examining Thanksgiving isn’t about taking away joy — it’s about introducing truth.
🔸The Crisis of Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW): A Deeper Understanding🔸
No effort to honor Indigenous Peoples Month is complete without acknowledging the ongoing crisis disproportionately affecting Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people.
Matoaka Land Back | Steph Littlebird | @artnerdforever
A Crisis Rooted in Historical and Structural Violence
Rates of violence against Indigenous women are among the highest in the world. This is not coincidental; it is the result of:
Key Realities
Including MMIW awareness within the narrative of Thanksgiving reframing connects historical harms to present-day injustices, ensuring that gratitude is not detached from reality and inviting action and course correction, remembrance, and responsibility.
Reframing Thanksgiving: Why It Matters
Transforming Thanksgiving from a mythologized colonial story into a day of gratitude and truth is not erasure — it is restoration.
1. Honors Indigenous Sovereignty and Continuance
Indigenous Peoples are not historical footnotes; they are living nations with thriving cultures, governments, traditions, and social systems. Reframing Thanksgiving shifts the spotlight from Pilgrims to the original stewards of the land.
2. Aligns Gratitude with Responsibility
True gratitude requires action. Examples include:
3. Fosters Intergenerational Truth-Telling
Children and adults alike benefit from honest history. Reframing Thanksgiving:
4. Replaces Performative Gestures with Year-Round Engagement
Thanksgiving is one day. Indigenous communities exist every day. Reframing channels energy into ongoing support rather than one-time acknowledgment.
🔸Practical Ways to Redesign Thanksgiving — With Actual Impact🔸
1. Begin with an Accurate Land Acknowledgment Using Native Land Digital
To acknowledge land respectfully and accurately, use 👉 https://native-land.ca/
Native Land Digital (NLD) is an Indigenous-led nonprofit mapping Indigenous territories, languages, and treaties worldwide. Its mission is grounded in education, awareness, and Indigenous data sovereignty.
Using native-land.ca allows you to:
📚 Replace Myths with Indigenous-Authored History and Media
Use books, films, articles, and curricula created by Indigenous people to replace outdated narratives.
🌽 Honor Indigenous Foodways
Include traditional crops (corn, beans, squash, wild rice, cranberries, salmon, bison) and acknowledge the original stewards of the land.
🗣️ Make Truth-Telling a Family Tradition
Spend a few minutes before the meal acknowledging history honestly.
✊🏽 Support Indigenous Communities Materially
Donate, volunteer, support Native-owned businesses or artists, or advocate for policy change.
💖 Practice Reciprocity with the Land
Return something — offerings, planting, volunteering, or ecological stewardship.
🗓️ Commit to Year-Round Engagement
Let Thanksgiving be the opening of a year-round commitment to Indigenous communities.
Listen, Decolonize & Heal | Gloria Lucas | @nalgonapositivitypride
🔸Want to practice something more personal? Expanded Gratitude & Reflection Personal Magick Ritual (with MMIW Honoring)🔸
This ritual is designed to honor Indigenous peoples, remember Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), and cultivate gratitude and reciprocity.
Materials Needed:
✨ Step 1: Prepare the Space — Create a Place of Witness
Arrange your items in a calm, intentional space. Place the candle symbolizing MMIW as a focal point. If using a red flower, place I next to it. Take a few deep breaths.
🕯️ Step 2: Light the Candle — For Visibility
“I light this flame in truth, gratitude, and remembrance.
May it honor Indigenous women taken from their families.
May their stories never be forgotten.”
💦 Step 3: Water Reflection — For What Has Been Lost
Gaze into the bowl of water and reflect:
“For the women who are missing.
For those taken.
For those denied justice.
I hold space for you.”
🧂 Step 4: Earth Grounding — For Responsibility
Touch or hold the earth/salt:
“I ground myself in responsibility.
May I honor this land and its First Peoples with my actions.”
🪴 Step 5: Gratitude Offering — For Reciprocity
Place seeds, cornmeal, or herbs on the earth or in your natural offering dish:
“I offer back to the land in gratitude and respect.”
🤐 Step 6: Witness for MMIW — Red Silence
Hold a minute of intentional silence:
“I witness you.
I will not look away.”
✊🏽 Step 7: Commitment to Action — Transform Gratitude into Protection
Write one concrete act of support on paper and say:
“Gratitude becomes action.
Action becomes honor.
Honor becomes protection.”
🌬️ Step 8: Close the Ritual — Carry It Forward
Extinguish the candle with reverence using a candle snuff or an intentional breath:
“May my steps honor the Indigenous women of this land.
May my gratitude carry forward.”
Smoke Signals (1998) | Miramax Films
🔸Recommended Reading & Resources🔸
Articles & Essays
Exhibitions
Organizations
Books
Sources & Further Reading
Are Labubus demonic? Are Labubus satanic? The internet loves a good conspiracy —especially when it involves something cute and strange. Recently, the Labubu doll became the subject of a bizarre claim: that it’s connected to ancient demons, specifically the Mesopotamian figure Pazuzu, made infamous in The Exorcist. Some Christian groups have even gone so far as to call the toy “satanic” or “possessed.” But is there any truth to this? Let’s dig into the symbolism, the different interpretations of “Satanism,” and how various spiritual traditions understand demons very differently.
As the Sun dips into the fiery heart of summer, July emerges—golden, long, and lazy. And right alongside it, the zodiac’s watery guardian, Cancer, takes the helm. July is one of the few month’s of the year (next to March or April, depending on the date of Ostara) where a pagan holiday or fire festival is not observed, yet the middle of summer seems almost ritualistic in how entrenched we become with the richness of the season. Looking further, it only makes sense as to why Cancer, summer’s sweetest star sign, is the mascot to the start of summer. Here’s why the vibrancy of July and the nurturing essence of Cancer are cosmic twins—bound by symbolism, season, and soul.
A celebration of identity, liberation, and self-expression— Pride Month is an annual honoring of the LGBTQIA+ community’s history, resilience, and ongoing pursuit of equality. While astrologically Pride Month falls within Gemini and Cancer seasons, the bold and untamed spirit of the Sagittarius full moon each June aligns strikingly with the energy that fuels Pride’s essence: truth-seeking, radical authenticity, and freedom from oppression.
