Through cooking demonstrations and more, explore why romanticized versions of Thanksgiving are harmful to Native Peoples and how you can incorporate indigenized alternatives into your celebration.

November is Native American Heritage Month as well as the month many Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. The Eiteljorg and its partners invite you to explore ways of honoring Indigenous people during your holiday celebrations. The Native American community is widely diverse and still alive today. However, systemic issues like the myth surrounding the origins of Thanksgiving continue to generalize and suppress the Native community. This event is not about cancelling a holiday; it is about changing perspectives on how to celebrate the holiday and Native Peoples.

Enjoy a conversation about the mythology of the “first Thanksgiving” with Jonathan James-Perry (Aquinnah Wampanoag) and a cooking demonstration led by a Navajo food journalist Andi Murphy to learn more about food sovereignty. Attendees will be able to enter a drawing for a chance to win a meal kit with Indigenous foods and recipes, so be sure to RSVP!

A partnership between Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Purdue Native American Educational Cultural Center, and Indiana Native American Indian Affairs Commission.

Questions? Contact 317-275-1377 and museumprograms@eiteljorg.com.

This event is currently scheduled to occur in-person. Register by Nov. 9 and note this event will adhere to prevailing local guidance on COVID-19. Thoroughly read confirmation details sent by the host.

Images courtesy of Andi Murphy (right) and Jonathan James Perry (left)

This event is part of the Spirit & Place Festival. Click here to discover more festival events!
Spirit & Place is a self-funded community initiative housed in the IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI.