This week many Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. The truth is that this country was colonized by European men who killed the native people living here, raping the land and the women, murdering all in their path, including children. The European (white) men were greedy for resources and land and willing to cause any harm to get what they wanted. As Americans in 2016, it is our responsibility to accept that this is part of our history. If we want this country to be exceptional in any way, we must also accept that this very same history is replaying itself right now. A greedy-for-resources-and-profit corporation, controlled by people of European descent (mostly white men) is raping the Earth, threatening the safety of water, claiming ownership of land inhabited by Native peoples, and inflicting excessive violence on men, women and children.
Indigenous people have for centuries been examples for humanity of how to live in the world, how to be in respectful relationship with the Earth and that which is sacred. We have the opportunity to support them right now and to learn from their wisdom — perhaps supporting the indigenous struggle is key to saving this planet that is in serious chaos.
If you are celebrating Thanksgiving this week, will you make a commitment to talk about both the history and the present conditions regarding relationships between native peoples of this land and those who feel empowered to exploit and abuse them? If you need help on how to talk about this, you have 2 more days to research and ask for help. The video is a good start. THANK YOU. 
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“We don’t have any place else to go. These are our only remaining homelands. We have to protect them. Enough’s enough.”
Jodi Gilette, President Barack Obama’s special assistant for Native American affairs and a Standing Rock tribal member
The video features water protectors from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and allies trying to stop the 1,100-mile Dakota Access Pipeline – DAPL. Interviews in the film include Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s Chairman Dave Archambault II; Jodi Gillette, former White House advisor for Native American Affairs; Ladonna Allard, founder of Sacred Stone Camp; Winona LaDuke, founder of Honor the Earth; and Cody Hall, Red Warrior Camp spokesperson. Created by Divided Films with support from the WK Kellogg Foundation.