For many of us, the story of thanksgiving consists of pilgrims, poultry and the indiscriminate consumption of fatty foodstuffs. Le Frigo Vert is out to change that.
Holding their third annual anti-colonial thanksgiving supper, Concordia’s non-profit food co-op will accompany the supper with the screening of two movies.
According to Le Frigo Vert’s Shelly Bazuik, “The purpose of the event is to expose some of the colonial myths built up around thanksgiving and colonial nation-building, while at the same time celebrating the principals of sharing food and information.”
Punita Bhardwaj, also from Le Frigo, said, “Thanksgiving is a very traditional holiday that has underlying notions of colonization of indigenous people, not discussed in the mainstream, so this is an event that offers a critique to counter these assumptions, and celebrate 500 years of resistance by natives in the Americas”.
In addition to raising awareness, organizers of the event hope that it will motivate people to get involved.
“Members of the International Indigenous People’s Solidarity Movement will be present, so this could be a starting point for people wanting to know how to be an ally with indigenous struggle,” said Bhardwaj.
The two documentary films being shown are “My name is Kahentiiosta” from Alanis Obomsawin, and “Zapatista Women”, directed by Guadalupe Miranda and Maria Ines Roque.
Obomsawin is the acclaimed director of Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance. The film is about a young Kahnawake Mohawk woman who was arrested after a 78 day armed standoff in 1990 between Mohawks and the Canadian federal government.
The second film “Zapatista Women” offers a glimpse of life among Mexico’s Zapatista women.
The supper will include vegan dishes like wild rice-cranberry salad, vegan shepard’s pie with mushroom gravy, and apple crisp.
All are welcome at this
free event which takes place Wednesday October 5th from 6:30-10:30 at the Samuel Bronfman Centre, 1590 Doctor Penfield avenue.