Like so many Americans, I love Thanksgiving. Taking the opportunity to hit pause and reflect with gratitude on all the positive things in life, makes for a transformative and memorable holiday.
What many of us don’t realize is that the Friday after Thanksgiving is followed by another powerful day of remembrance… Native American Heritage Day.
This special day encourages us to explore the incredibly rich culture and history of the First Peoples and consider the underlying reason for Thanksgiving. The very essence of this beloved holiday rests on the contributions of our Native American neighbors. The hospitality, kindness, and invaluable knowledge they shared with exhausted and malnourished European visitors saved countless lives.
The actions of the First Peoples in their encounter with Europeans serves as a precious example of how we should always treat each other with unwavering respect, love, and empathy.
But Native American Heritage Day also encourages us to do something else…
The struggle for awareness of many First Peoples is ongoing, with many fighting for the right to live in a way that honors their languages and sacred traditions. We can help to right wrongs by bringing our energy and awareness to this significant day, and spreading the word to family and friends.
The cultures of many First Nations rests on beautiful songs, poems, stories, and food that are made to be shared.
Here are three things you can do to embrace, share and celebrate Native American Heritage Day:
1) A Soul-warming Recipe for Choctaw Cornbread
Many of us may not realize that cornbread has Native American origins. In my house, cornbread is one of those dishes that nourishes the belly and the soul. It’s a rare day when a single piece is left lonesome on the tray.
Corn is a sacred staple for Native Americans. Among the Choctaw, corn is known as one of the “Three Sisters,” because it is planted together with squash and beans.
One Choctaw legend tells of the Ohoyo Osh Chisba, or the unknown woman who gifted corn to the Choctaw people. In the story, two hungry hunters were sitting by a riverbed, contemplating their scanty, unappetizing meal. A luminous woman appeared, bearing flowers symbolizing all their loved ones who had passed.
The hunters approached her with reverence and offered her their food. She gratefully accepted a portion, and as thanks, told them to return to the mound where she was standing at the next midsummer moon. On their return, an unfamiliar plant had sprouted. This plant was corn, and was prized and revered by the Choctaw people, and eaten with gratitude from that day onwards.
Share in this gratitude with this delicious and simple recipe you can make at home, adjust to suit your taste buds, and savor with those whom you love.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose white or whole-wheat flour
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ¼ cup milk, or unsweetened almond milk for a plant-based alternative
- ⅓ cup canola oil or applesauce
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 °F and lightly grease an 8” x 8” pan.
- In a large bowl, stir the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
- Slowly pour in the almond milk and canola oil. Mix gently until well combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
If you’d like to add a little extra pizzazz to your cornbread, stir in your favourite spice while combining the dry ingredients, or mix in some chunky corn kernels to the wet batter before pouring into the tin.
2) Words of Wisdom
When I’m in need of uplifting words, I often find solace in the profound teachings of Native American poets, writers, and storytellers. Their perspectives are imbued with enduring wisdom, teaching us that we must live harmoniously with each other and the natural world around us.
One of the most precious texts I have come across in my travels is a prophecy made by the Oraibi Elders of the Arizona Hopi Nation, entitled “We Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For.” These words leave me in a state of awe and reverence.
It’s my heartfelt belief that this prophecy can help guide us as we transition to a place of higher consciousness — in other words, it is perfect for the moment we are living through now.
Share this powerful text with friends and family, and speak it aloud if you can — Native American stories and prophecies were designed to be shared through the spoken word.
We Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For
You have been telling people that this is the eleventh hour.
Now you must go back and tell people that this is the hour!
And there are things to be considered:
Where are you living?
What are you doing?
What are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.
It is time to speak your truth.
Create your community.
Be good to yourself.
And not look outside of yourself for a leader.
This could be a good time!
There is a river flowing very fast.
It is so great and fast that there are those who will be afraid.
They will hold on to the shore.
They will feel that they are being torn apart, and they will suffer greatly.
Know that the river has its destination.
The elders say that we must let go of the shore,
push off into the middle of the river,
keep our eyes open,
and our heads above the water.
See who is in there with you and celebrate.
At this time we are to take nothing personally, least of all, ourselves.
For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth comes to a halt.
The time of the lone wolf is over.
Gather yourselves!
Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary.
All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.
We are the ones that we have been waiting for.
–Oraibi Elders of the Arizona Hopi Nation
3) The Unsung Secret of Thanksgiving
If you’d like to dive deeper into the essence that underlies Thanksgiving, and contemplate what the kindness of the First Peoples really teaches us, you might like to read this heartfelt piece I wrote several years back.
Thanksgiving should be a time of gratitude, and remembrance. But it should also be a time to reflect on how our Native American neighbors modeled respect, love, and care for others, and practice applying this in our own lives.
We need to open ourselves to the wisdom of Native Americans to bring our lives back into alignment. Native American Heritage Day offers us a chance to do that.
Practice stepping away from the daily grind today. Instead, work on cultivating more consciousness and compassion in your interactions with others and with yourself!
Stay curious,
Nick Polizzi
Host of Proven: Healing Breakthroughs Backed By Science
& Founder of The Sacred Science
The best email today was the link to your article to counter all the ‘buy, buy” Black Friday emails. The final line from the Oaibi Elders was used almost daily in. Workshop I attended over 7 years ago but no mention of its source, so thank you for the whole text and your heartfelt writing of the first Thanksgiving. I will share a link.
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so lovely to hear these things, a nd so glad u continually pass down ur traditions for you families and for the world to learn from
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I am thankful for those who, like Nick, are graciously reminding us how and why we can choose to wake up from our collective trance again, and how to do this, and I love that the implied message is: Don’t go back to sleep! The doorway is always open!
Thank you very much indeed for your work.
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Have always loved the stories of the. Active Americans, so pleased theyRe being acknowledged more.
I am S.African born but now live in Windsor UK,a retired nurse.
Will make the corn bread thankyou for lovely article .
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Thank you for sharing. I have be blessed by my Native American relatives who have shared much wisdom, medicine ways, ceremonial ways and a world view/way of being that fills my heart and resonates with who I am…wopila tanka!
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For an man with an Italian last name you DO share some odd shares. For instance : wheat flour would NOT be used in native cornbread. I do appreciate your efforts. and I do try to honor my relatives no matter where they came from. Mine are Scot ,Dutch and Cherokee .My husband was Armenian . hence the even odder last name which was changed by the Turks.
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Thank you Nick for sharing this information today. It certainly touched my heart. The poem, I’d, never seen it before. It is very telling of the wisdom from our forefathers and mothers that Life is really that simple. Its very encouraging in these uncertain times, and something I needed to see today. Thanks again.
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Thank you for sharing this. I was looking for ways to honor this day and this was perfectly timed! I will be sharing this prophecy to my community today! Thank you!
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I greatly appreciate these words of wisdom from the Hopi community.
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Many, many thanks, Nick for this timely reminder and beautiful tests. Here’s trusting that everyone will pass them on to others and that the understanding of real and honest gratitude is spread worldwide – so neede at this time. Bless you and your family.
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ROBERT MUELLER, CO-FOUNDER OF THE UNIVERSITY FOR PEACE, COSTA RICA,C.A . WOULD SHARE WITH VISITERS TO THE U.N. MANDATED UPEACE THAT THE LEGEND THAT REAL WORLD PEACE WOULD NOT HAPPEN UNTIL THE EAGLE OF NORTH AMERICA WOULD MEET THE CONDOR OF AMERICA SOUTH AT THE (PURE) HEART OF THE AMERICAS.. UPEACE IS LOCATED IN THE HEART OF THE AMERICAS.( LOOK AT A MAP OR GLOBE )
ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO WE HAD A MEDICINE WHEEL FIRE CEREMONY AT THE UPEACE CAMPUS WITH CHIEFS FROM NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA AND QUITERISSI PEOPLES FROM OUR NEIGHBORING RESERVE .. IT WAS A MOVING CEREMONY . IT WAS QUITE MOVING
I WAS NAMED THE KEEPER OF THE FIRE ,AND I AM SAD TO SAY IT WAS NEVER RECREATED.
I AM INSPIRED TO CALL FOR MORE MEDICINE WHEEL EVENTS . MAYBE FOR SOLSTACE 2020.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME,
YOUR FRIEND IN PEACE,
CHARLES ALLEN D. DEPALMA
NATURE GUIDE,
UPEACE PROTECTED ZONE
EL RODEO, COSTA RICA
CENTRAL AMERICA.
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Hi Nick, I believe you mean well and you advocate for gratefulness and kindness, but you unfortunately are perpetuating harmful myths. Early European settlers did not treat indigenous people with respect, love, and empathy. Quite the opposite, marked with numerous documented massacres including at least one where an entire village was set ablaze, murdering hundreds of innocent women and children. “Days of Thanksgiving” were announced and celebrated afterwards as thanks to God for delivering the victory. A shameful history. Our modern holiday descends from those horrible events and the myths surrounding it that we were often taught as children are inherently white supremacist, meant to cover up the widespread genocide of indigenous North Americans. I have faith that you don’t support those things. You respect indigenous people, many of whom call this day “National Day of Mourning”. Please do more research about the true history of Native America and Thanksgiving.
Thank you for the feedback! History is marked with many instances of harmful acts against native tribes and indigenous peoples around the world – both in classical and contemporary moments. We do not condone any of these atrocities and seek to foster unity among humans, instead of division. Then and now, indigenous peoples had / have allies from peoples of different cultures. We are but one family under the stars.
I have been enjoying native american heritage ali month as this is native american heritage month set by the united nations .
I have been thankfull for every thing we eat and drink come from nativeamericans and their spirital side as they are intune with the creator.
Mind,body,spirit and balance with mother earth and all the inhabitants that live on mother earth.
Thank you for connecting with the ancestors and the spirits of the land!
The poem in part 2 speaks to me in many ways as I suppose it does to others who read it in its entirety.
The line that states”take nothing personally, especially yourself” is powerful and takes on real meaning for me when I read the next line that goes, “spiritual growth” comes to a halt when taking things personally.
Thank you,
Laurel
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I would have though that a better way to deal with ‘Thanks Giving’ would be to learn, acknowledge, teach others and pay reparations for the genocide and thefts of land, property, history and human rights dealt out by white immigrants to Native Americans rather than the sanitized fairy story you tell yourselves. Then make a serious donation to the health care of Native American communities so devastated by Covid because of the poverty historically imposed on them by whites and then campaign until these communities, so neglected because of racism, get the regular health care that white settlers take for granted. Only then can you consider being sentimental about Native Americans.
Thank you for the feedback! We do no advertise it, however, each year we make specific donations to directly benefit indigenous tribes on these lands and across the world. We have been honored to learn from many tribes and assist them at the local level, literally face to face, heart to heart. These are our ancestors too.