Minnesota Official Urges Staff To Ditch Thanksgiving, Learn About ‘Colonial’ Violence
The statement, sent out today and written by the director of the DHS Office of Indian Policy Angie DeLille, encourages staff to reconsider their usual Thanksgiving celebration and allocate money to “indigenous-owned businesses.”
“As we approach this holiday, it’s an important time to reflect on the historical truths surrounding this holiday, particularly the impact it has had on Tribal and urban American Indian communities in Minnesota,” reads the opening of the memo, titled “Thanksgiving offers opportunity for gratitude — and learning.”
“While ‘Thanksgiving’ is often framed in its colonial settler mythological form, as a celebration of harmony and gratitude, it’s also important to acknowledge its deeper history – one that involves the displacement, violence, and enduring struggles that Tribal and native communities still face today,” it went on to read.
Obtained by The Daily Wire
DeLille, a social worker, has “an interest in improving cultural competency in the social work profession” and leads the state’s Office of Indian Policy, which is tasked with assisting with “the delivery of services to American Indians living both on and off the reservation.”
Her memo goes on to propose an alternative to traditional Thanksgiving celebrations, noting that “my family has even started calling the holiday Truthsgiving!” before suggesting some ways that DHS staff can celebrate “truthsgiving.”
