Thanksgiving. When I say this, your mouth probably salivates with the thought of creamy mashed potatoes, fried turkey, juicy corn, buttered bread rolls, and sparkling apple cider. However, the indigenous people of the United States of America do not celebrate Thanksgiving. Instead, they believe it to be a day of mourning, which is ironic. The irony in this is that Thanksgiving is supposed to be a holiday commemorating the unity of the Pilgrims and the Natives Americans.  Whereas the majority of Americans believe the colonization of America was most beneficial, Native Americans believe it was the first step towards the genocide of their people. And who can blame them? Europeans brought unknown diseases that killed the natives, forced Christianity onto them, and enslaved them when they would not acknowledge the so-called power the Europeans claimed to have over them. Not only this, but Christopher Columbus is credited with founding America. However, if we gave the indigenous people the name “Native Americans,” it is an exact contradiction to the idea that someone other than the natives founded this country.

I shamefully admit, I have never divulged myself much into the matter. However, recent events that have occurred over the forced construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline have forced me to become more aware of the social and environmental situations that surround as well as impact me. For those who do not know, the Dakota Access Pipeline would be utilized in order to transport oil throughout several states. The conundrum between the construction workers and the natives involved in this building process is the fact that the pipeline will run through the Standing Rock Sioux tribe’s main water source which provides water for over 10,000 residents. In addition, the pipeline will run through a sacred burial ground belonging to the Sioux tribe. Although the construction workers contributing to the building of the pipeline insist they have covered every possible angle to prevent a spill, natives still argue that with oil spills you can never be sure that the work will go the prefered way, and they are not willing to risk losing one of their necessities of life for the advantage of the government’s economics.

So, while we were most likely enjoying cranberry sauce on November twenty-fourth, men and women were getting shot by rubber bullets from the guns of North Dakota law enforcement for exercising their right to peacefully protest. While our older relatives were most likely popping open the sparkling champagne, Native Americans were getting sprayed with forceful amounts of water coming from hoses and suffering from intense amounts of tear gas for exercising their right to protect their water and land.  While we enjoyed full stomachs and warmth radiating from our clean bedsheets, the members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and many other peaceful protesters were left in the freezing temperatures brought on by the winter season beginning to hit North Dakota for protecting their right to live. It is now obvious that the offer of “The Land of the Free” has never been extended to the indigenous people of the United States of America.