Let’s say the quiet part out loud: Thanksgiving is a beautiful holiday with violent origins, and real gratitude for our communities, food, and home must exist side-by-side with truth.

That’s why this week’s small step is to begin Thanksgiving dinner with Land Acknowledgement, a recognition that American land is Indigenous land, and because we benefit from it, we must give resources and power back to Native American communities.

Land Acknowledgement can be as simple as, “This Thanksgiving, we acknowledge this land is Indigenous”—you can find your area’s original Indigenous community here— ”and we pledge to respect, restore, and regenerate its earth, water, and ecosystem in their honor.” Learn more about Land Acknowledgement at the Native Governance Center.

On Thanksgiving, you can also…

Purchase and use The Gathering Basket Cookbook, created with Indigenous chefs and activists to preserve and platform Native American food traditions.

Donate to the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance, which advocates for food security and independence for all Indigenous people and neighborhoods.

Read about Indigenous biologist Richelle Thomas and her work protecting sacred medicinal plants and their dual impact on biodiversity and Indigenous independence.

Get your Thanksgiving ingredients (and beyond!) through American Indian Foods (AIF), a partnership between the Intertribal Agriculture Council and the USDA that certifies Indigenous-owned brands.

Support movies and TV shows created with Indigenous creative leaders like Jessica Matten and Amber Midthunder.