Have you dusted off your fine china and hung the garland yet? Before we get too carried away with holiday festivities, let's pause for a moment of reflection. The holidays are a time of joy and celebration, and also a chance to educate ourselves on the histories associated with dominant holidays, especially when it comes to Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving has long been celebrated as a time for family gatherings and harvest-style feasts, but in recent years, Thanksgiving has evolved to associate with modern-day American consumer culture, thanks to Black Friday. Without further ado, let’s dive into these two dichotomies of Thanksgiving celebrations- the history of the Indigenous People of this valley, and Black Friday consumerism that now gobbles up the season.
For many, the holidays are a time for quality time with loved ones revisiting fond memories, and, of course, thoughtful gift exchanges. This is what all good holidays accomplish, right? However, as we gather around the table to celebrate, it’s important to remember the history behind Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is often sold as a time to express gratitude for what we have, for abundance, but what is often intentionally overlooked is the painful history for Indigenous Peoples that this holiday represents. Most of us celebrate in homes built on stolen land, land that was taken from Indigenous communities that have stewarded these lands since time immemorial.
Eagle County has a rich Indigenous history. The Eagle County Historical Society explains that The Nuche people—the name chosen by the Ute people of this area—are the original inhabitants of this land, who lived in these mountains for millennia. Sadly, by the late 1800s, most of the Ute people were forcibly relocated to reservations in Utah. As Lynn Albers of the Eagle County Historical Society explains, “Prior to European-American settlement, the landscape that is now Eagle County served as Ute hunting grounds, travel routes, ceremonial sites, and villages.”
As we gather with family and friends this Thanksgiving, let’s take a moment to reflect on the land we inhabit. The Southern Ute Indian Tribe reminds us, “The Utes believed that they didn’t own the land, but that the land owned them. Contact with the Europeans was to end a way of life the people had known for centuries.” This is a powerful reminder to recognize the people whose lives were disrupted by colonialism and whose land we now occupy.
In addition to this historical reflection, we must also consider how Thanksgiving has evolved into an occasion marked by consumerism rather than gratitude. The focus of this holiday has shifted from giving thanks to giving in—participating in the Black Friday frenzy, which has become a symbol of overconsumption. We are constantly bombarded with messages encouraging us to “BUY, BUY, BUY,” from every angle. This reality has big implications for waste and greenhouse gas emissions. It’s estimated that individual Americans amass nearly 25% more waste during the winter holidays which equates to a dismal 5 pounds per person per day. This increase consists of holiday wrapping paper, unimaginable tons of food waste, and significant amounts of packaging materials, just to name a few contributors. All of these waste inputs contribute to roughly 5% of all United States emissions coming from municipal solid waste landfills. If it feels difficult to wrap your head around these numbers, or you're interested in learning more about how our waste is managed here in Eagle County, I highly recommend checking out one of Walking Mountains' free recycling tours!
What if we approached this holiday season differently? Instead of fueling the cycle of waste and overconsumption, we could embrace a “less is more” mindset. Consider shopping locally at places like the Vail Valley Cares Thrifty stores for unique gifts, instead of heading to big-box retailers for brand-new items. Or, attend a Walking Mountains Drinkering and Tinkering event to make a zero waste, upcycled gift this year. If you plan to wrap gifts, try using fabric scraps or old magazines and newspapers as eco-friendly alternatives to traditional wrapping paper.
This season, let’s try to re-center the holidays around what truly matters: appreciating what we have, acknowledging the history that brought us here, and taking steps to protect the planet for future generations. We can be more intentional in our celebrations, not just in the food we consume or the gifts we give, but in the way we connect with each other and with the world around us.
The holidays are also an exceptional time to give not just gifts, but your time and donations to others. Consider volunteering at the Community Market to sort food, stock shelves or support shoppers. “But Chantel, I don't have a lot of time to volunteer right now, how else can I give?”. Why not consider donating to an organization? In honor of the Indigenous Peoples who stewarded the lands we now occupy, may I suggest the organization Spirit of The Sun, which is a Colorado based non-profit that partners with Native American communities to offer a number of useful programs. These programs include employment preparation, promoting health and wellness for Indigenous youth, working to alleviate poverty, and initiating the integration of elders and youths to ensure knowledge of the Indigenous People is not lost.
To bring us to a close, I encourage you to embrace a spirit of gratitude. Not just for the bounty on our tables, but also for the land we live on and the communities we share it with. Let’s make a conscious effort to transform the holiday season into something truly meaningful.
Chantel Recksiedler is the Climate Action Collaborative Coordinator at Walking Mountains. The Climate Action Collaborative is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Eagle County 50% by 2030 and 80% by 2050.
