As we head into the first of several holidays this season, we want to extend warm wishes to all SEIU 1021 members. 

However you spend this time, resting, gathering with loved ones, or taking some downtime to catch your breath, we hope it brings comfort and connection.

We also recognize that this upcoming holiday carries a complex and often painful history. The traditional story many of us learned about Thanksgiving leaves out the realities faced by Native Americans, including the displacement, oppression, and violence that followed the arrival of colonizer-settlers. 

For many, this day is observed not as a celebration, but as a Day of Mourning. Honoring that truth, and the original caretakers of the land we live and work on, is one small way we can acknowledge the fuller story and fight back against ongoing injustices.

Many of us also use this season to focus on what brings us gratitude and fuels us: our families, our communities, our traditions, and the meals that connect us across generations and cultures. 

Whether you’re sharing a moment of reflection, gratitude, trying a new recipe, or enjoying a bit of quiet time, we hope you have space to appreciate the people and practices that sustain you.

We wish you comfort and community this holiday season.

Ways to take action: Honoring Native peoples on Thanksgiving and year-round

Learn & educate:

• Seek out books, films, and social media content by Native creators to understand Thanksgiving from an Indigenous perspective.
• Share accurate history with family and friends and avoid stereotypes, including costumes or imagery that appropriate Native cultures.

Acknowledge the Land:

• Use tools like Native Land Digital to learn which Indigenous nations originally stewarded the land where you live and gather.
• Offer a land acknowledgment at your Thanksgiving table or union event.

Support Native Communities:

• Shop from Native-owned businesses and artists, and stay alert to imitations marketed as “Native-inspired.”
• Donate to Native-led organizations working on social, economic, and health issues.
• Attend local events or cultural programs hosted by Native communities.