'Thanksgiving is a modern holiday where we all shove our faces full of turkey, watch football, and, for four seconds before dinner, say what we are thankful for.

However, we should try to follow the ideals of the Native American tribes that the pilgrims ate with and give to those less fortunate.

Many Native American societies were based on the idea of giving.

"Native communities operated on the belief that the collective survival of the tribe was important," said Lisa Emmerich, professor of Native American studies. "If you had a lot, you had a lot to give."

People even ascended social status by giving gifts to those less fortunate."

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Jake Buffenbarger: America forgets tradition of first Thanksgiving, disregards native ideals (The Orion 11/30)