Tiffany Midge: Well it's all come down to Thanksgiving and Trump


Donald Trump on the campaign trail. Photo by Gage Skidmore

When poet Tiffany Midge, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, thinks of Thanksgiving she thinks of Republican president-elect Donald Trump. Is that enough to ruin the holiday season for you?
Once or twice a month I treat my Nana to lunch at Costco for the rounds of free samples. I tell her we’re at Old Country Buffet, and she’s none the wiser. She’s a big fan of the crescent rolls and pot stickers. Sometimes we hit the food court on the way out for .99 cent hotdogs and the all-you-can-eat onions and relish “salad” bar. It’s about all the excitement her sweet, little heart can take, so I try and ration it out. But, hey, its Costco! It’s well worth the risk of a potential cardiac event.

Costco is the gettin’ place for holiday feast fixin’s. It gets pretty crazy with shoppers this time of year. But I don’t go for any of that, since I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. Instead I act out a version of How the Grinch Stole Thanksgiving. Maybe you have one of me in your circle of friends or colleagues? Sound familiar? I’m one of those sanctimonious guests at the table offering anecdotes about the REAL Thanksgiving. I’m a real wet blanket, and can be annoying, I admit, especially after my lecture regarding appropriation on Halloween, my speeches on Columbus Day, and my throw down about Veteran’s Day for good measure. The Native Americans used every part of the sacred turkey is my official (sassy) holiday slogan.

Read More:
Tiffany Midge: Thanksgiving Shopping at Costco: I Just Can’t Even (Indian Country Today 11/23)

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