Giving a Land Acknowledgment in Front of My Republican Family at Thanksgiving
By Ariana Beck | Photo by Lizzy Morearty
Do you have republican parents? Do you have any republican family? If you do not you will not understand this to the fullest extent.
Picture this:
I walk into my dining room in a gay little top and my gay little top and jeans with one single rip in them. Uncle Jack says “you better have gotten a discount on those jeans!!” to which I reply with “No. No Uncle Jack, I did not.” I sit down in between my Marxist brother and socialist cousin. We touch fingers to hold space before we commence. Before anything else I reach to snag a glass of wine. I take the bottle and when it is in my hand my brother and cousin look at me in absolute horror. “What, I’m 20! It’s only a year off, what are you going on about??” I realize they aren’t horrified by me drinking some good ‘ol stomped on grapes, they are horrified by the fact that it says Trump on the bottle. I drop my glass. I punt the bottle. I run away,
I come back with some sage and a speaker blasting Chappell in hopes to cleanse.
I take a look around the table at all the yummy food and see my aunt Jackie and aunt Marge pass the butter. It is Land O Lakes. I know what’s coming. “I just don’t understand why they took her off the packaging, it was honoring the Native Americans.” Wrong off the bat. Again, I know what is coming next. “Ugh and that syrup! They took Aunt Jemimah off the front. Just ruins the whole shtick for me.” EVERY FUCKING YEAR OH MY GOD I CAN’T DEAL WITH THIS BULLSHIT. I can’t deal with it, but of course I will. Like what else would I do lol. Wait can you let me be dramatic for a moment please. Dude I don’t know why your actually being rude asf rn like I am a girl you should expect this!!
I take a deep breath and my cousin, brother, and I intertwine our hands.
“We acknowledge that we are on the native land of the Matinecock people. We thank you for maintaining it so nicely and apologize for our unauthorized colonization of your land. This holiday is about being thankful for this land which is not ours and we want to recognize that. Thank you.”