First, here is a worthwhile example of what Thanksgiving can mean in contemporary America. Contrast that with this jeremiad by someone who thinks Thanksgiving celebrates the oppressiveness of white European-types over Native Americans (don’t read it if you want to keep your teeth from grinding–though some of the comments are worth reading). (via Instapundit).
Also, in an effort to prove that all historical revisionism isn’t bad, I’d like to point to an article in the latest Smithsonian called “Squanto and the Pilgrims: Native Intelligence, ” (PDF). The author is Charles Mann who wrote the critically acclaimed 1491 (I haven’t read it yet). In the Smithsonian piece, Mann “suggests that the Native Americans were far more sophisticated than previously believed-and yet at the mercy of forces that abetted the settlers’ ambitions.” It’s an interesting and worthwhile read. It’s not hagiography, but it’s also not demonization.