By Elizabeth Young

Thanksgiving commemorates the successful harvest and a time the Pilgrims gathered to give thanks, sharing a feast with their Native American neighbors, who had made possible their survival in the New England wilderness.

"Come, Ye Thankful People, Come" written by Henry "Dean" Alford, the gifted Christian leader of the 19th century and distinguished theologian and scholar, is considered to be one of the finest harvest and Thanksgiving hymns in all of the hymnals of Christian singing.

Writers and textbook publishers of American history have generally omitted or, if mentioned at all, glossed over historic accounts of genocide and inhumane treatment of American Indian populations.

The mythology of the American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights is a national story of great significance to the way the United States views itself.

The United States of America was founded on the fundamental principle of freedom of religion.  America’s Founding Fathers believed that religious freedom and a strong democratic system were inseparable but only for Christians.

The American Indians worshiped the Earth instead of Jesus Christ, and according to an interpretation of the Bible, they had no soul. Therefore, early settlers believed it was OK with God to break our word, steal their land and slaughter them like the other sentient creatures we torture and kill so we can get a hamburger for a dollar.

"The only good Indian is a dead Indian" was the battle cry as we let nothing stand in the way of our Manifest Destiny.

The Indians were not violent savage people as they are depicted in our filtered history books, movies and the Encore Western Channel.

Unlike the societies of civilized savages, the indigenous populations didn’t kill for land, resources and power. The Indians were brave warriors that fought hard to try to keep their families safe and worked together to share and provide food, clothing and shelter to people in need (like the Pilgrims).

Every Thanksgiving you will find Leigh Girl doing a live Peace Paint in memory of the Indians that were slaughtered then and throughout history.  She is sorry for what injustice has been done in the past to such a beautiful people.

“I myself am always sad on Thanksgiving when I think of the human rights violations committed against the indigenous populations all over the world, who only wanted to live in harmony with the Earth.” Visit her website www.facepaint.ws.

Actually, the American Indians presented other problems for the "white man" givers.

Indians held a special knowledge of the land and its inhabitants, and believed they were only a small part of the whole circle of life, and that each part of creation played a significant role in the contentment and survival of the other.

Indians accepted the divine idea that all things were equal and no animal, including man, held dominion over other parts of creation. American Indians, also known as the People of the Land, traditionally and historically believed, humans were created to be caretakers of the garden -- Mother Earth.  They held all things of creation sacred and respected Nature.

• Never take more than we need;
• Thank Creator for what we have or what we will receive;
• Use all of what we have;
• Give away what we do not need.

Native Americans were environmental communists.