"No, you should stay in Portland because it's too expensive to travel."

"Yes, maybe we should go there!"

"Nah, it'll be so busy then."

In the end, we decided that my brother would have to celebrate on his own this year and that we'd just see him in December for Christmas. Our Thanksgiving table is going to be a little smaller this year, and he, for the first time, will have to create some new Thanksgiving traditions of his own.

Traditions are not meant to be stagnant. We create new traditions all the time for many reasons. Sometimes it's because of big life changes like moving to a different place... and sometimes, it's because you have new meaning and purpose to it.

Thanksgiving itself is a complicated tradition. The way we understand it has changed over time and space.

First and foremost, there are many traditions of thanksgiving around the world. Mid-Autumn Festival, Chuseok, Canadian Thanksgiving, and New Yam Festival are just some of the many celebrations of harvest and bounty. What we celebrate in the United States is not THE Thanksgiving, but A tradition of thanksgiving.

Then, there is the historical aspect of American Thanksgiving. Commercial and media-depicted stories of Thanksgiving revolve around the one-sided narrative of Pilgrims and the Wampanoag coming together around a table; it often glosses over the Wampanoags' key role in the survival of the settlers during the winter and the legacy of encroachment of Indigenous land in the many years that followed. These narrow narratives also make it seem as though Indigenous People are nameless silhouettes in the past, not the vibrant members of our community who are working towards showing the nuance and rich culture of their Nations. Chicago, according to a 2022 Chicago Sun Times article, has 34,543 individuals who identify as Native American. Local academic groups like Northwestern University's Center for Native American and Indigenous Research (CNAIR) and museums such as the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian and the Trickster Center are partnering with Native Americans in the Chicagoland area to feature and celebrate Narive American stories.

This leads me to ask, "How do you carry on a tradition but broaden your perspective?"

Nature adapts to change, and so should we.

First, while there's one less chair at the table this year, I'm making space and time for family (in-person or virtually). I am thankful for my family and am fortunate to be with them during this time. I'm also thankful for technology that can bridge the distance with loved ones.

I'll also be making room for learning and growing in my own knowledge of Native Nations who are part of my community. I'm updating the Land Acknowledgement included in the GGCP newsletter with various resources (see below). Our role as educators is to make sure that we provide opportunities to learn from the past to walk hand-in-hand with key partners in our future.

Within that, there is still room to give thanks and appreciate all the Earth has provided. The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy) make a thanksgiving address before big events and encourages for everyone to nurture all life on this earth. I think taking a page from that tradition is a great way to center thankfulness in practice and action.

There is always room for honoring the past and adapting towards the future.

Speaking of which, my sister and I are going to adopt one more new tradition - our brother is getting a holiday greeting in the form of a potato sent through the mail. While we can't cook with him this year, he's got the starting ingredient for his own Thanksgiving tradition. It's all in good fun and, of course, we are thankful for him and for the postal workers who work hard to make the distance not seem so far this holiday season.

Wishing everyone a reflective, restorative, and bountiful celebration of thanksgiving.

What is a Land Acknowledgement?

A Land Acknowledgment is a statement of respect and recognition towards the native people and nations of this land that we now know as North America. It acknowledges them as the traditional stewards of the land and states their relationship with their traditional territories.

Sing along and make your own latkes!

• Katherine Ellison, Glen Grove Principal
• Aurora Joaquin, Glen Grove Speech-Language Pathologist
• Katelyn Kelleher, Glen Grove Psychologist
• Hedy Helfand, Glen Grove English Langauge Learning Teacher
• Pam Leister, Glen Grove English Langauge Learning Teacher
• Lisa Funke, Glen Grove Learning Resource Center Director
• Marie Chang-Pisano, Glen Grove Reading Intervention Associate
• Sylvia Gorski Duarte, District Title III Family Resource Teacher
• Lindsey Lurie, District Multilingual Instructional Coach

Email: GGCommunityProject@gmail.com