ENGLISH VERSION AFTER THE ONE IN PORTUGUESE
THANKSGIVING - O DIA DE AÇÃO DE GRAÇAS AMERICANO
Todo Novembro, na última quinta-feira do mês, o povo dos Estados Unidos comemora um de seus maiores feriados: Thanksgiving.
THANKSGIVING - O DIA DE AÇÃO DE GRAÇAS AMERICANO
Todo Novembro, na última quinta-feira do mês, o povo dos Estados Unidos comemora um de seus maiores feriados: Thanksgiving.
Em 1621, neste mês de novembro, um bando de peregrinos celebrou sua primeira colheita em solo americano. Eles chegaram a bordo de um navio chamado Mayflower, e eram membros da Igreja Separativista da Inglaterra. Haviam fugido primeiro para a Holanda, devido à perseguição religiosa, e de lá dirigiram-se para o que era conhecido na época como o Novo Mundo, pensando em construir para si um lugar onde fossem livres para seguir sua religião.
A terra americana, entretanto, era povoada por diversas tribos indígenas. Ora, no início, os peregrinos se deram bem com todos. Aos poucos, porém, eles começaram a querer impor seus costumes e sua religião aos que os cercavam, e os problemas começaram. Para que entendas o que houve, é preciso que entendas primeiro quem habitava as terras do Norte.
Ora, para os nativos americanos, a Terra pertencia a todos. Os animais eram de todos. A Natureza era sagrada, regida pelos elementais do Fogo, do Ar, da Água, da Terra. Eles não conseguiam entender a idéia de que uma mera cerca ao redor de uma área significava que as terras, os animais e o ar dentro daquela cerca eram propriedade particular de alguém. Como podia a terra ser propriedade de alguém? Como podia o ar ser propriedade de alguém? E os rios, e os animais, e as plantas? Então continuaram a caçar livremente. Para seu espanto, começaram a ser rechaçados a tiros. Depois de muitas mortes, empunharam seus arcos e flechas para defender sua própria vida, e foram então chamados de agressores e assassinos.
Ora, para os nativos americanos, a Terra pertencia a todos. Os animais eram de todos. A Natureza era sagrada, regida pelos elementais do Fogo, do Ar, da Água, da Terra. Eles não conseguiam entender a idéia de que uma mera cerca ao redor de uma área significava que as terras, os animais e o ar dentro daquela cerca eram propriedade particular de alguém. Como podia a terra ser propriedade de alguém? Como podia o ar ser propriedade de alguém? E os rios, e os animais, e as plantas? Então continuaram a caçar livremente. Para seu espanto, começaram a ser rechaçados a tiros. Depois de muitas mortes, empunharam seus arcos e flechas para defender sua própria vida, e foram então chamados de agressores e assassinos.
Os poucos nativos que foram aceitos pelos peregrinos eram obrigados à conversão ao cristianismo. Caso se negassem, eram considerados inimigos, e paulatinamente perseguidos e assassinados como feiticeiros, bruxos, filhos do demônio. Suas aldeias foram dizimadas. Seus totems derrubados. Seus objetos sagrados queimados.
Assim, o povo que fugira da perseguição religiosa na Inglaterra passou a ser o perseguidor e o opressor na América. Aos poucos, sem a menor consciência de culpa, foram dizimando a população nativa. Afinal, os nativos não eram "salvos"! Eram apenas ateus bárbaros, pouco mais que animais... Matar um nativo era tão sem importância quanto matar um búfalo.
Séculos mais tarde, quando os movimentos contra o racismo começaram a ficar populares nos States, os remanescentes dos nativos se uniram a eles. À medida em que as raças africanas adquiriram mais direitos e liberdades, porém, os nativos não conseguiram as mesmas regalias. Afinal, sem suas terras sagradas, como poderiam voltar ao cultivo de sua ancestralidade? E assim, os nativos americanos continuam, ainda hoje, a batalha pela sobrevivência de sua cultura.
Não, Thanksgiving não me parece ser uma comemoração de agradecimento pela bondade divina. Parece-me mais como uma celebração da soberania e do poderio religioso de uns poucos fanáticos armados, contra um dos mais pacíficos e belos povos que já habitou nosso planeta.
Sim, eu comemoro Thanksgiving. Mas não comemoro nenhum agradecimento pelo "direito" de adoração de uns em detrimento dos direitos de todos os demais. Comemoro Thanksgiving em memória de todos os guerreiros e guerreiras nativos que caíram em solo americano, lutando pela liberdade das águas, a liberdade dos ares, a liberdade das plantas, a liberdade da luz e a liberdade das sombras.
E um dia - o qual eu não verei, e creio que tampouco o verão meus netos, ou os netos de meus netos - outra vez reinará na América e no mundo todo a liberdade de todas as coisas e de todos os seres viventes, e o canto dos nativos outra vez voltará a soprar no vento, livre e belo como a voz das águias nos altos montes.
E talvez, se o homem não estivesse tão certo de que suas idéias e crenças são melhores do que as de alguém mais, e não destruísse e matasse por elas, esse dia nunca precisaria chegar.
English version
THANKSGIVING
Thanksgiving, one of the greatest American holidays, is celebrated on the last Thursday of November.
History tells us that everything began In 1621, when a band of Pilgrims celebrated their first harvest on American soil. They´d arrived aboard a ship called Mayflower, and were Separatists from the Church of England. Due to severe religious persecution, they had first fled to the Netherlands, from where they went to what was then known as the New World, so as to build for themselves a place where they could be free to follow their religion.
The American land, however, was populated by several Native tribes and in the beginning the pilgrims got along pretty well with everybody. But soon they began to try imposing their customs and their religion on those around them and it was then that the problems began. Well, in order to understand what really happened, we first need to understand who those people who lived in the lands of the North were.
According to the Native Americans, the land belonged to everyone. The animals belonged to everyone. Nature was sacred, ruled by the Elementals: Fire, Air, Water, Earth. They just couldn´t understand the idea that a mere fence around an area meant that the land, the animals and the air inside that fence were someone´s private property. How could the land be owned by someone? How could the air be owned by someone? And the rivers, the animals, the plants? So they kept freely hunting, and to their amazement they were driven back by gunfire. And after many deaths, they picked up their bows and arrows to defend their own lives – and were called aggressors and murderers.
The few Natives who were accepted by the Pilgrims were forced into conversion to Christianity. Those who refused were considered enemies, persecuted and murdered as witches and children of the devil. Their villages were decimated. Their totems overturned. Their sacred objects burned.
Thus that people who had fled religious persecution in England became the persecutor and oppressor in America. Gradually, without any qualms or guilt, they decimated the Native population. After all, the Natives weren´t "saved"! They were only barbarian Atheists, little above the beasts... Killing a Native was as unimportant as killing a buffalo.
Centuries later, when the anti-racism movements became popular in America, the Native remnant joined them. But as the African-Americans achieved more and more rights and freedom, the same didn´t happen to the Natives. After all, how could they go back cultivating their ancestry without their holy lands? And so it is that the Native Americans are still uselessly fighting for the survival of their culture to this day.
No. Thanksgiving doesn´t look like a celebration of thankfulness for Divine goodness. It looks more like a celebration of the sovereignty and power of a few armed religious fanatics over one of the most peaceful and beautiful people who have ever inhabited our planet.
Yes, I celebrate Thanksgiving. But I celebrate no thankfulness for some people´s "rights" to worship at the expense of other people´s rights. I celebrate Thanksgiving in memory of all the Native Warriors who fell on American soil fighting for freedom – freedom of the waters, freedom of the air, freedom of the plants, freedom of the light, freedom of the shadows.
And one day – which I´m not going to see, and neither will my grandchildren, and the grandchildren of my grandchildren – the freedom of all things and all beings once more will reign in America and in the whole world. And once more will the Native´s songs flow in the wind, free and beautiful as the voice of the eagle on the high hills.
And maybe, if men were not so sure that their ideas and beliefs are better than someone else´s, and wouldn´t destroy and kill for them, there´d be no need for such a day…
E talvez, se o homem não estivesse tão certo de que suas idéias e crenças são melhores do que as de alguém mais, e não destruísse e matasse por elas, esse dia nunca precisaria chegar.
English version
THANKSGIVING
Thanksgiving, one of the greatest American holidays, is celebrated on the last Thursday of November.
History tells us that everything began In 1621, when a band of Pilgrims celebrated their first harvest on American soil. They´d arrived aboard a ship called Mayflower, and were Separatists from the Church of England. Due to severe religious persecution, they had first fled to the Netherlands, from where they went to what was then known as the New World, so as to build for themselves a place where they could be free to follow their religion.
The American land, however, was populated by several Native tribes and in the beginning the pilgrims got along pretty well with everybody. But soon they began to try imposing their customs and their religion on those around them and it was then that the problems began. Well, in order to understand what really happened, we first need to understand who those people who lived in the lands of the North were.
According to the Native Americans, the land belonged to everyone. The animals belonged to everyone. Nature was sacred, ruled by the Elementals: Fire, Air, Water, Earth. They just couldn´t understand the idea that a mere fence around an area meant that the land, the animals and the air inside that fence were someone´s private property. How could the land be owned by someone? How could the air be owned by someone? And the rivers, the animals, the plants? So they kept freely hunting, and to their amazement they were driven back by gunfire. And after many deaths, they picked up their bows and arrows to defend their own lives – and were called aggressors and murderers.
The few Natives who were accepted by the Pilgrims were forced into conversion to Christianity. Those who refused were considered enemies, persecuted and murdered as witches and children of the devil. Their villages were decimated. Their totems overturned. Their sacred objects burned.
Thus that people who had fled religious persecution in England became the persecutor and oppressor in America. Gradually, without any qualms or guilt, they decimated the Native population. After all, the Natives weren´t "saved"! They were only barbarian Atheists, little above the beasts... Killing a Native was as unimportant as killing a buffalo.
Centuries later, when the anti-racism movements became popular in America, the Native remnant joined them. But as the African-Americans achieved more and more rights and freedom, the same didn´t happen to the Natives. After all, how could they go back cultivating their ancestry without their holy lands? And so it is that the Native Americans are still uselessly fighting for the survival of their culture to this day.
No. Thanksgiving doesn´t look like a celebration of thankfulness for Divine goodness. It looks more like a celebration of the sovereignty and power of a few armed religious fanatics over one of the most peaceful and beautiful people who have ever inhabited our planet.
Yes, I celebrate Thanksgiving. But I celebrate no thankfulness for some people´s "rights" to worship at the expense of other people´s rights. I celebrate Thanksgiving in memory of all the Native Warriors who fell on American soil fighting for freedom – freedom of the waters, freedom of the air, freedom of the plants, freedom of the light, freedom of the shadows.
And one day – which I´m not going to see, and neither will my grandchildren, and the grandchildren of my grandchildren – the freedom of all things and all beings once more will reign in America and in the whole world. And once more will the Native´s songs flow in the wind, free and beautiful as the voice of the eagle on the high hills.
And maybe, if men were not so sure that their ideas and beliefs are better than someone else´s, and wouldn´t destroy and kill for them, there´d be no need for such a day…
Site oficial da autora: http://www.dalvalynch.net
Endereço da autora na Rede de Escritoras Brasileiras:
http://rebra.org/escritora/escritora_ptbr.php?id=1158
Endereço da autora na Rede de Escritoras Brasileiras:
http://rebra.org/escritora/escritora_ptbr.php?id=1158