Yesterday, millions of Americans celebrated Thanksgiving. While the holiday is a wonderful time to reconnect with loved ones, express gratitude for life’s gifts, and eat tremendous amounts of delicious food, it’s also a day that has some particularly disturbing origins. In fact, many historians argue that Thanksgiving isn’t even worth celebrating: After that legendary harvest meal between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans, the groups became enemies. Pilgrims exploited Native Americans for much of their land and resources, and much of the disparity created then still continues today. According to a Pew Research Poll in 2014, one in four Native Americans and Alaska Natives are living in poverty. Additionally, *The Washington Post* recently reported that “they’re twice as likely as any other race to die before the age of 24,” and “they have two times the rate of abuse and neglect.” Those are troubling numbers, and definitely call to mind the fact that Native Americans have an entirely different view on the holiday than most. In this video, *The Cut* asked a group of Native Americans to provide a one-word response to the word “Thanksgiving.” Their answers go far deeper than turkey and stuffing — and they might make you a bit uncomfortable — but they are incredibly important to keep in mind.
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