Dear Friends,
As we gather this week around tables and with loved ones, I am deeply aware of the complexities surrounding the holiday of Thanksgiving. For many, this is a time of gratitude and connection, yet it is also a time to reflect on the stories we tell—and the truths we omit—about our shared history.
I write to you from my home in Northern Michigan, on the ancestral and current homelands of the Anishinaabe Three Fires Confederacy. This beautiful land along the shores of Lake Superior is a sacred place to call home. It also calls me to acknowledge the truths we have not told as a nation or as a church about our relationship with Native peoples.
Our traditional narratives around Thanksgiving are deeply flawed and incomplete. We celebrate abundance and connection, yet we must also confront the painful realities of settler colonialism, the theft of land, and the cultural and physical genocide of Indigenous peoples—many of these acts justified under the guise of Christian doctrine. As people of faith, it is essential that we learn from the wisdom of Native communities, who have long taught that dominion over the earth or each other is not our calling. Jesus himself modeled a life of service, humility, and kinship, values that stand in stark contrast to the pursuit of power and control that the church has historically - and sometimes currently - upheld.
This Thanksgiving, I invite us to deepen our reflections and commitment to telling the truth about our past so that we can reconcile our future together:
- Listen: The Church’s Role in Indian Residential Schools and a Path to Reconciliation with Dr. Anton Treuer This special episode, released by Episcopal Divinity School for Native American Heritage Month, explores one of the most painful chapters in U.S. history: the Indian residential schools. Over 100 years, these schools, many run by churches, sought to assimilate Indigenous children through neglectful, violent, and deadly practices, leaving a legacy of intergenerational trauma. Hosted by the Rev. Steven Paulikas and featuring Dr. Anton Treuer, Professor of Ojibwe and author, the podcast examines the role of the church in this history and how we can work toward truth, reconciliation, and healing.
- Read: How Can Episcopalians Honor Native American Heritage Beyond November? by Leora L. Tadgerson This article, written by the Chair of Executive Council on Indigenous Boarding Schools and Advocacy, outlines actionable steps for Episcopalians to support Indigenous self-determination using tools like the Native Land Digital Map, supporting the collection of oral histories, archival research, and grants for dioceses engaged in truth-telling and healing initiatives, and exploring historical church records like The Spirit of Missions
Thanksgiving can be reimagined to be a time of healing when we choose to tell the whole truth, listen deeply, and commit ourselves to love and justice. As we celebrate, let us also recommit to the kingdom Jesus envisioned—a kinship of mutuality, not superiority; a community grounded in love, not dominion.
May this season be one of honest reflection, profound gratitude, and courageous hope.
In peace and solidarity,
The Very Rev. Lydia Kelsey Bucklin
President and Dean