The Thanksgiving Play

Content Warning: This section discusses anti-Indigenous racism and the genocide of Indigenous Americans.

“It’s symbolic of the way we’re going to create this play. We start with this pile of jagged facts and misguided governmental policies and historical stereotypes about race then turn all that into something beautiful and dramatic and educational for the kids.”

Jaxton’s explanation of the water bottle’s symbolism inadvertently demonstrates that their tools as theater makers are the tools of colonizers. Rather than creating something beautiful and educational that isn’t based in trauma or (if the project were truly inclusive of Indigenous voices) staging a celebration of local Indigenous cultures, Jaxton describes something like artistic gentrification.

“I already struggle with the holiday of death.”

Logan calls Thanksgiving the “holiday of death,” but ironically, she is speaking as a vegan about the deaths of turkeys. Considering her commitment to making a culturally sensitive Thanksgiving play, one would expect her to be more concerned about grappling with America’s history of genocide.

“I think I can be a mentor to this woman. Help her recover from the false value placed on her sexuality because I’ve taken that journey. Show her how much more she can be. Thank you for that self-awareness.”

Logan’s white savior mentality toward Alicia (who turns out to be white too) is patronizing and infantilizing; it assumes that Alicia doesn’t know any better and needs Logan to show her the way to live her life. Contrary to her words, Logan has very little “self-awareness.” She believes herself to be a strong ally of BIPOC, yet she accepts many of the Stereotypes and Constructions of Indigeneity promulgated by colonialism.