A Culturally Diverse Take on Thanksgiving
November has been named National Native American Month, and unfortunately, it is often the only time of year many educational institutions include Native Americans in their lessons. I have addressed this issue over the years and have come to a few conclusions. Teaching about Native Americans should be part of the curriculum throughout the school year. When creating lessons that include Native Americans, it is essential to use materials vetted and authenticated by a Native American, preferably someone in the field of education. (Debbie Reese, the creator of American Indians in Children’s Literature, is an extremely reliable source that I rely on heavily and highly recommend.)
Focusing on worldwide harvest celebrations and foods from different countries could be an interesting change of pace. After all, Thanksgiving was all about the harvesting and receipt of crops, which provided lifesaving food. It is another opportunity to introduce children to other cultures. Barefoot Books published an excellent book for ages 4-8 called Harvest Days: Giving Thanks Around the World, which includes harvest traditions and foods.
Instead of traditional Thanksgiving foods, have a feast with foods from around the world. If you do want to add a Native American aspect to your discussion of food, an excellent book for this is Fry Baby: A Native American Family Story, which includes a recipe for fry bread. Dumpling Day, another excellent book from Barefoot Books, reflects how many cultures have dumpling-type foods featuring recipes from ten countries. There are endless possibilities.
With many celebrations and holidays happening at this time of year, there are many opportunities to learn and teach about other cultures.
