Are schools teaching Thanksgiving history with all the stuffing? Southern Utah schools focus on meaning

ST. GEORGE — As certain religious groups, equal rights groups and Native American tribes have expressed dissatisfaction with the old traditional history of Thanksgiving, many schools are now focusing on changing the curriculum of the first Thanksgiving.

Photo of Engraving of Massasoit and Gov. John Carver smoking a peace pipe on March 22, 1621 | Photo courtesy of National Endowment for the Humanities, St. George News

Washington County School District Director of Communication and Foundation Steven Dunham told St. George News there is no curriculum standard for Thanksgiving provided by the state. And current teachings regarding Thanksgiving history are less about history and more about gratitude.

Shauna Lund, the communications and foundation coordinator for Iron County School District, told St. George News something similar.

“I’m unaware of specific history lessons in each individual classroom,” she said. “In speaking with leadership in the district, they said most classrooms focus on the aspect of gratitude in recognition of Thanksgiving.”

The old traditional history taught in schools up until the 1990s was the version of Tisquantum (Squanto), a Native American who found the English colonists after arriving on the Mayflower at Plymouth Rock. The colonists were struggling to survive the harsh land and environment.

Being able to speak English, he and other members of the Wampanoag Tribe, including Chief Massasoit, taught the colonists under Mayor William Bradford how to work the lands, prepare for the winter and survive. In return, both the English colonists and the Wampanoag sat down and ate together, giving thanks.

However, according to historical accounts from Plymouth pilgrim Edward Winslow, the “first” Thanksgiving celebration was actually more prevalent with war and suffering, not the thankful story of the Turkey-themed holidays like most children previously were taught in public schools.

The “Real Story of the Thanksgiving,” written by direct ancestors of both the Wampanoag and the colonists, reads, “It is easier to believe this tale than to look at the facts. In reality, the English story was invented and the holiday proclaimed for political reasons.”

FILE: A young volunteer helps serve pie at the Red Rock Canyon School Thanksgiving dinner, St. George Utah, Nov. 26, 2015 | Photo by Leanna Bergeron, St. George News

Since 2018, there has been a surging response of schools teaching about the actual historical events of the first Thanksgiving. These schools include those in Virginia, Oklahoma and others across the nation.

After several Native American social justice leaders have pushed the agenda of correcting history, the traditional narratives have become a thing of the past, as Time magazine reported in a November 2019 article.

In October, the Utah Legislative auditor general audited Utah schools on “Curriculum and Teacher Training in Public Education,” citing key findings.

The key findings relate more specifically to “sensitive” curriculum and materials but still cover controversial historical teachings.

According to the audit, one of the greatest risks of student exposure to potentially questionable content lies within the materials selected and how they are presented in the classroom. Currently, the materials used within the classroom are designated by the school district with approval from the board.

State code is unclear on who should make decisions regarding the appropriateness of addressing emerging social issues in classrooms and whether such decisions are the purview of local control, the Utah State Board of Education or the Legislature. Lately, more focus has been on allowing local educational agencies to make those decisions.

The auditors also reported there have been limited guidelines and training concerning teacher neutrality. In recommendation, the audit cites some current processes that could be strengthened. State governing boards are recommended to better mitigate controversial areas such as neutrality standards and emerging social issues. Again, the state governing boards have passed on the guidelines and training to local school districts.

And, as Dunham noted earlier, no content policy or curriculum is currently required on Thanksgiving history.

Both Dunham and Lund said the general consensus is to teach Thanksgiving as a day to give thanks and be grateful rather than lecturing on the actual history of the event.

Presently, neither school district is looking at changing how the history of Thanksgiving is taught pertaining to the facts of the famed dinner in 1621.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!