Alberta First Nations celebrate culture and tradition instead of Thanksgiving

Traditionally Thanksgiving is centered around food, turkey, mashed potatoes and all the trimmings. But for Indigenous people across Canada, that history is more complicated.

Marshal Crowchild is a sous chef at the Grey Eagle Casino in Calgary. He found his passion for cooking at a young age, learning to cook for his siblings before watching cooking on TV. For him, creating food, especially Indigenous cuisine, is personal.

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“For me, it’s a sense of joy. I get a sense of belonging,” explained Crowchild.

The roots of Thanksgiving in Canada are controversial but despite this country’s relationship around colonialism, Crowchild can appreciate the season.

“I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving per se,” Crowchild said. “But I do enjoy the happiness it brings people, the closeness it brings people.”

According to some historians, the first Thanksgiving in Canada occurred in 1578, initially a celebration of the safe travels by explorers, then later as a way to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. But long before the explorers, Indigenous communities gave thanks to the Great Spirit for an abundance which they received during the fall months.