After looking at the readings for this week, I was very interested in talking about both the Transcript for President Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Proclamation from October 3, 1863, as well as the letter from Edward Winslow to a friend from December 11, 1621. Lincoln’s letter shows that the country was dealing with the Civil War and found comfort in being thankful. He recognizes that the country has been blessed by God, even though things were going badly. This proclamation shows how strong a country that has been torn apart by war can be when it seeks unity and healing through gratitude. However, Lincoln’s speech, which was supposed to show his thankfulness, clearly shows his failure to acknowledge Indigenous peoples. This shows how difficult it may be to decide which historical events to focus on, preferring some viewpoints while ignoring others and affecting our perception of the past. Then, the letter that Winslow wrote more than two hundred years ago gives us a picture of early colonial life by showing how newcomers and native people interacted with each other. His account of the First Thanksgiving, where native guests helped with the feast, goes against the story that was told to us as kids growing up. It shows a more complicated truth of living together peacefully, if only for a short time, despite cultural differences and power struggles. Looking at Pocahontas, it really showed different artistic interpretations and showed how her story can be twisted, hiding the true essence of her life as a Native woman dealing with colonialism and assimilation. The way she’s been turned into a symbol of European success just goes to show how much colonial stories can shape our view of history. Learning out about Cranberry Day shows Indigenous customs that have survived over many generations. It was really cool to see families celebrate their culture in spite of their colonial histories. Also, exploring the unique cranberry harvesting methods shown in the film gave a look at Indigenous farming practices, which were really interesting to see compared to what we consider as modern now. In the end, we can only work to create a society that is based on honesty and repair if we have a solid understanding of history.