Decolonize The Holidays: A Just Transition Guide

Narratives create a cultural set of beliefs and values that, when embedded into our systems, become truth. The false narratives surrounding holidays like C*lumbus Day and Th*nksgiving–those that subscribe to the doctrine of discovery–are falling apart. These holidays have extremely painful histories of genocide and exploitation that are still felt today.

A Just Transition is a fair and equitable shift to economies that listen to, empower, and care for working class people, rooted in Indigenous values. An equitable shift to a regenerative economy includes a narrative shift that culturally challenges what colonized systems teach us to be “true”. In order to shift the narrative surrounding holidays to one that fosters truth, reconciliation, and healing, we must decolonize the holidays.

The following are a few ways we can utilize this time of year to reconcile, reflect, heal, and rise up:

Stop The Bad: Commit to actions that actively listen to and align with Communities of Color. 3 actions to take right now:

• Solidarize with the Nenana Land Back Campaign: Indigenous Nenana residents’ visions for regenerative food systems, cultural connection & holistic land stewardship are under threat by extractive industries.
• Petition to uphold ICWA: The Indian Child Welfare Act prevents the colonizing practice of severing Indigenous children from their families, communities, and culture. This protection is currently under threat.
• Resist supporting large corporations that harm and exploit workers and communities; instead, recognize our power to shop small and shop local.

Build The Good: Amplify sovereignty–the ways our communities already meet our own needs. 3 community catalyst opportunities to share and engage with:

• Flex food sovereignty: Calypso Farm encourages local food production and environmental awareness through hands-on education in natural and farming ecosystems.
• Support collaborative spaces for People of Color: Umoja CoWorking is a co-working and business services space dedicated to empowering underrepresented entrepreneurs by supporting culture, collaboration, community, and events.
• Learn how to run for office with Advance Native Political Leadership. In this 4-day, virtual training course, Native leaders gain the skills needed to run an effective campaign while leading with shared Indigenous values.

Change The Story: Share the stories of intersectional narrative truth. Instead of the colonized story of “Th*nksgiving”, learn the story of:

• Rethinking Thanksgiving: From Land Acknowledgement to LANDBACK with NDN Collective.
• Oceanback: Center coastal Indigenous food sovereignty and the economic future of the blue economy with Native Conservancy.
• Digital Sovereignty: Indigenous owned and operated broadband internet is a significant tool that can shift dominant narratives through sharing, access, and relationship building.

Change The Rules: Recognize the painful history associated with Th*nksgiving and other colonized holidays, and shift how we interact with them.

• Decolonize “tradition”: Natives Outdoors’ “Decolonizing Thanksgiving Toolkit” illustrates concrete ways in which we can unsubscribe from the narratives of a painful time of year.
• Engage with mutual aid: The systems under which we live do not meet the needs of all Alaskans, but we can organize to care for each other. Mutual Aid Network of Anchorage shows us how.
• Commit to a decolonizing practice: Enroll in Native Movement’s self-paced course, Untangling Colonialism.

This is not a comprehensive list. We’d love to hear more collaborative ways to engage with a decolonizing practice. Email glo@justtransitionak.org to share yours.