How to Properly Teach Kids About the Holidays

When I was in elementary school, we celebrated Thanksgiving and Columbus day by having a party and discussing how America was "discovered."  We were taught the rhyme that says "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.." and were told that this was the year he "founded" America (even though the Vikings had previously been to the land, and the Native Americans had been living there for thousands of years).  We also studied the "first Thanksgiving," and were taught that it was a day of celebration for the Pilgrims who survived the harsh travels from England.  To me, it was the day that the Pilgrims and the Native Americans sat down for their first meal together.  But is any of this really true?  Is it fair to teach children these same stories we learned as kids, even though we know they are false?

According to an article from Elementary School Issues, it is extremely important for us as educators to formulate a different way to teach kids about these holidays--and I completely agree.  Certainly it is a good idea to teach kids about the importance of giving thanks with the holiday soon approaching, but it is not fair to teach children stories that they will later find out are false.  It is incredibly important when teaching children about Thanksgiving to not refer to the "Indians" or "Native Americans" in the past tense, and to explain to kids that they still exist today.  Many Native Americans in todays society are pushing to rename Thanksgiving "Native American Day," in the hopes to educate the public about their proper history.  For them, the arrival of the Pilgrims was not a positive event whatsoever--it marked a day in which the the Pilgrims tried to impose their culture on them and take their land.  When teaching children about Thanksgiving, we should be very careful not to tell them falsehoods, so it would be a good idea to steer clear of putting on a pageant, such as I did in Elementary School, where kids dress as stereotypical Native Americans and Pilgrims.  Perhaps instead we should take the time to educate the kids about the culture of the Native Americans,  and to read a story from the perspective of a Native American.  Of course we should teach our kids to be Thankful for what they have and to celebrate Thanksgiving--we should just be careful to stay clear of the "first Thanksgiving" story that we were taught as kids.