Back in 2016, I was writing the song New Thanksgiving Feast. Mid-way through I called my producer to play him what I had so far. It was at that point mostly a catalog of images from America past and present, followed by a lot of editorializing. His advice was, “This is a song of images. Don’t editorialize”.
For a song that starts with the whitewashed Thanksgiving story most of us Americans were taught in school, then ranges into topics like immigration, the women’s march, counterprotestors, Colin Kaepernick taking a knee and the Dakota Access Pipeline, this was great advice. Editorializing would have been a mess, and likely, no one would have listened.
When I wrote the song we were not yet living under the first Trump administration. I was reaching for some higher collective truth. At the risk of sounding crazy, I still reach for that truth.
For so many reasons, it feels more important than ever to support and learn from the Indigenous communities who have access to a more rooted and sustainable relationship with this planet.
New Thanksgiving Feast is available on my Bandcamp with all proceeds going to support The Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, the folks who inhabited the land I live on, before European contact. The mission of the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi is to support the preservation, protection and promotion of their history, culture and traditions; while providing social, economic and educational resources, opportunities and services that contribute to the well being of the tribal community.
Many thanks to my friends at Macum Creek House Concerts in Maryland, for filming New Thanksgiving Feast the first time I performed it.
Here is the full lyric:
We traced our hands and made paper cutoutsWe pasted feathers onAnd we would shout out“I made a turkey”“I made a headdress”“I made a pilgrim’s hat”Then it was recessAnd the bell would ringWe’d run into the streetsCalled Iroquois, Council Rock, CayugaThose street signs hid the truth thoughDad put the football onIt felt like familyWe’d eat the most we couldPass out in front of the TVGrandma and grandpaThey were from RussiaThey wouldn’t talk aboutWhat it was like thoughI think they would have diedIf they had never triedTo come hereAnother family knowin’ that fearNow I think about the English-Irish ServantsAfricans they drug across in chainsChinese and Italian families riding on the wavesWhile along the pitch pine highwayNear Plymouth BeachA Wampanoag fights to keep his right to fish the seaA Wampanoag fights to keep his right to fish the seaWhen we all meet our CreatorWhich will it be?Paper cutouts and hollow shellsOr a new Thanksgiving feastOr a new Thanksgiving feastOut on an icy plainWrapped in blankets and beadsElders with weathered facesFaces that read like historySay a prayer for all of those who’ve come to standAnd a prayer for those firing water canonsIt is a prayer forThe CreatorWhile on a football fieldA man refuses to riseTo salute a country that would let his people dieAnd though the rage and fearSwirl around him like a twisterHe’s committed to his brothers and his sistersHe’s made a choice he knowsSo peacefully he sits thereWhile along the chilly streets of Boston,Charlotte, Seattle and DCPeople pouring out in numbers never seen beforeWhen we come to face our shadowsShadows too angry to ignoreAre we gonna tell ourselves it’s down to either/orOr will we finally realize we’re meant for something more?When we all meet our CreatorWhich will it be?Towing the lines, pretending we’re blindOr a new Thanksgiving feastOr a new Thanksgiving feast
Be Part of My Next Podcast - Ask Me Anything - Submit your question by 12/2!
For the next episode of Jess Klein’s Big Table: I’ll be answering questions from you! Ask me anything about my albums, songwriting process, tour life, anything you’ve heard me say on the podcast, my own spiritual/social justice journey, or even ask my advice on a challenge you’re facing in your life!
To submit a question, hit REPLY to this email, shoot me a message at jess@jessklein.com or leave a comment below and I’ll consider your question for a special Ask Me Anything Episode to air in early December!
It’s been an inspiring education for me, this first season of Jess Klein’s Big Table, conversations with Artists, Activists and visionaries! I hope it has for you as well! I’ll release two more episodes this year before taking a break for the holidays.
