Thanksgiving: The New Year of the Earth and Honoring Our Ancestors

Today, many call it Thanksgiving—a day often framed through narratives of loss, colonization, and darkness. But what if we reclaimed it? What if we recognized this day not as a reminder of tragedy, but as an opportunity to honor the courage, strength, and sacrifice of our ancestors?

Our ancestors lived through unimaginable trials, and many lost their lives during times of suffering and oppression. It would be easy to dwell on the darkness they endured. But when we attach ourselves to only the pain of history, we risk diminishing the very lives they fought to preserve. We risk connecting their spirits to suffering instead of liberation.

Thanksgiving can be transformed into a sacred practice: a time to reflect, to celebrate, and to free our ancestors from the weight of historical darkness. We can honor them not by denying the reality of their experiences, but by elevating their courage—the resilience it took to survive, to protect their lineages, and to lay foundations that we now walk upon.

Life itself is complex. Darkness and light coexist. But by choosing to celebrate and honor our lineage—even when events were not structured through positivity—we affirm that their sacrifices were not in vain. We reclaim their power and integrate their lessons into our own lives.

Today, let us celebrate our ancestors for their courage, their endurance, and their vision. Let us release them from the shadows of history and recognize them as the source of the life, strength, and wisdom flowing through us now. Thanksgiving becomes not a day of grief, but a day of remembrance, empowerment, and gratitude—a true new year of the earth.