Decolonize Thanksgiving with AI (Seriously)

A Free Family Activity to Honor Indigenous Peoples

Happy Fall, family! 🍂 This past week, we had one of the best family outings in a long time. We went to a local park and spent about an hour doing a simulation of the Nisenan people, an Indigenous tribe from this region. The kids were so engaged, and it was the perfect way to spend quality time together while learning something new.I can’t recommend this enough as an activity for the upcoming Thanksgiving break. It was a beautiful, fun, and meaningful way to honor the season and the land we live on. It was a perfect AFROP day!

Our AFROP Rating: 🥥🥥🥥🥥🥥

I’m giving this activity 5 out of 5 coconuts in every category! Here’s the breakdown:

• A for Active Brains: This activity was all about imagination! We didn’t have elaborate props, so each of us had to envision what life would have been like for the Nisenan people. The kids did a fantastic job stepping into their roles and thinking critically about the tasks at hand.
• F for Focused Art: We created natural art using pine cones, sticks, and colorful fall leaves we found in the park. This was an awesome way to talk about the resources available to artists at the time and how they used their environment to create beauty.
• R for Real Experiences: The kids got a real, hands-on experience of gathering materials. They had to look for specific items that represented food and supplies, which really helped them understand the concept of storing resources for the winter months.
• O for Opportunities: It was amazing to see how the activity spanned all the ages and personalities of my children. Everyone had an opportunity to shine! EJ loves to tell stories, so he got to be our chronicler, taking pictures and video to capture our day. The twins love running and collecting things, and they had plenty of opportunity to gather sticks, rocks, and leaves in a focused way. Most importantly, it was an opportunity for us to connect and spend quality time together.
• P for Practicalities: This day cost absolutely nothing, other than the gas to get to the park. We packed our own lunch and had a little “harvest celebration” afterward to debrief the activity. It was a low-cost, high-impact day of fun.

Create Your Own Family Simulation

Want to try this with your own crew? It’s easier than you think! Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Know Your Goal. Before you start, figure out what you want your kids to learn. Be explicit. My goal was for the squad to learn about the hunter-gatherer lifestyle of local Indigenous tribes. Having a clear goal helps shape the entire experience.
2. Be Realistic. Think about the time, money, and energy you have. I was real with myself: I didn’t want to spend more than an hour on prep or execution, and I didn’t want to buy a bunch of materials. Keeping it simple makes it more likely to happen!
3. Personalize It. Consider the ages and preferences of your children. This will help you create activities that are specific to your troupe and more likely to be enjoyed by everyone.
4. Go Local. Look for Indigenous tribes in your own region. Most federally recognized tribes have websites full of information and history. It’s a powerful way to connect your children’s learning to the specific land you are on and truly honor the season.

This was a truly memorable experience for our family, and I hope it inspires you to create your own. Let me know if you give it a try!

Watch our Acron Adventure on YouTube!