"Thanksgiving day is a reminder of the genocide of millions of Native people, the theft of Native lands, and the relentless assault on Native culture," says the United American Indians of New England. They've marked the occasion as a day of mourning for 48 years, according to Native Hope.

A Harvest Celebration During the autumn of 1621, at least 90 Wampanoag joined 52 English people at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, to mark a successful harvest. It is remembered today as the “First Thanksgiving,” although no one back then used that term.

But Thanksgiving isn't a day of joyful family gatherings for everyone. For Native tribes in New England, it's a National Day of Mourning; for many more Indigenous people, it's a reminder of how little the country regards them, their culture and their history.

Thanksgiving involves many practices that profit from principles of gluttony or greed, and it often involves unpleasant interactions around the dinner table. In addition to this, revelers of this beloved holiday are often blind to its true meaning because of the taxing efforts expected of them.