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Mountain Views News Saturday, November 22, 2025


CHRISTOPHER Nyerges 

 

[Nyerges is an educator and author. His many books can be seen at www.
SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com.]

 

THANKSGIVING DAY: Exploring It's Roots

Meet Miss Rory!

What a cutie! 
And what a 
beauty she will 
be when she's all 
grown up! 

This adorable 
little adventurer, 
age 2 mos., is full 
of energy, curiosity, and love! Rory is very 
playful, inquisitive, and fearless! — every 
corner, toy, and kitty tail is an opportunity for 
discovery. Her nickname, “Dora the Explorer,” couldn’t be more fitting!

Rory gets along wonderfully with all the house kitties, and is just as sweet with 
people, happy to curl up for snuggles after playtime.

Rescued from the wheel of a friend’s SUV by a kind 
AAA technician when she was only about 6 weeks old, 
Rory is now vetted, thriving, and ready for her forever 
home, which we hope to find by the holidays!

If you’re looking for a playful, loving companion who 
will bring endless joy and laughs, Rory is your girl! 
See more pictures and cute videos of her, and apply at 
https://www.lifelineforpets.org/rory.html, or use the qr 
code. 


Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday of the year. Even moreso than 
Christmas, which seems to drive so many to rushing around almost mindlessly. 
But Thanksgiving is our uniquely American holiday where we try to remember our 
roots, we share a meal, we meet with family, and we hopefully “give thanks.” At least that’s the idea.

 

Unfortunately today, we hardly know what “giving thanks” even means, and so the act of giving 
thanks is lost on most of us. Newscasters talk about “turkey day,” as if all there was to the day was 
eating turkey. Interestingly, most folks would not know whether or not they were eating turkey, or 
eating crow. Then, when we have barely taken the time to consider the notion of “giving thanks,” we 
get up early on the following “black Friday” to rush around with the mobs “looking for a good deal” 
to help us celebrate the consumer-driven commercial craze into which we’ve morphed “Christmas.” 

 

Let’s pause and take a moment to look at the roots of Thanksgiving.

 

In the history of the European colonies developing on the East Coast, finally becoming the United 
States, we tell ourselves that our first historic Thanksgiving Day was in October of 1621. After a successful 
harvest that year at the Plymouth colony, there was about a week or so of celebrations. The 
local Indians and the colonists joined together, with the Indians generally showing the colonists how 
to hunt for the meal which consisted of fowl, deer, duck, goose, and fish. Corn bread, wild greens, 
plums, leeks, and many other vegetables (wild and domestic) were shared in this celebration. Interestingly, 
there is no recorded evidence that wild turkey or wild cranberries were part of the menu. 
And we tell and re-tell this particular American story as if it is all about food!

 

In fact, some (but not all) historians question whether or not there were any religious overtones at 
all on this “first Thanksgiving,” citing such evidence as the archery and firearms games, and the running 
and jumping competitions, which they say would never be done at religious ceremonies by the 
Puritans. The “competition” was more likely the men on each side doing their shows of bravado with 
weapons and physical feats before sitting down to eat.

 

What then is it, if anything, that sets the American (and the Canadian) Thanksgiving celebration 
apart from any of the other myriad of Harvest Festivals?

 

Not widely known is that this “first thanksgiving” feast had mostly political overtones, which seem 
to have largely backfired. Tisquantum (“Squanto”) was the interpreter for Massasoit, who was the 
political-military leader of the local Wampanoag tribe. Massasoit was worried that his weakened 
tribe would be taken-advantage of by the stronger Narragansett, because his own group had been 
so reduced from disease. Massasoit would permit the European newcomers to stay as long as they 
liked, as long as they aligned with Massasoit against the Narraganset. (Read all about it in your history 
books). Tisquantum spoke English because he’d been to England and back, and had his own 
plan to re-establish his home-town village near what became the Plimouth colony. 

 

Though Tisquantum successfully helped Massasoit broker a pact with the newcomers from across 
the ocean, Tisquantum died about a year later. The truce that Massasoit hoped to cement lasted 
perhaps another 50 years until the flood of Europeans flowing into Massachusetts and all of what 
was to become the eastern United States was too great to stop. 

 

Despite the varied history of this day, Americans have chosen to see this as day set aside so that we 
do not lose sight of our spiritual blessings. We should not confuse “giving thanks” with “eating a 
lot of really good food.” “Giving Thanks” is an enlightened attitude which accompanies specific 
actions. Perhaps sharing our bounty with the needy would be a better Thanksgiving activity. More 
to the point, perhaps we should use Thanksgiving to give thanks where it is due -- to the indigenous 
peoples who have become the “forgotten minorities,” and who are the very ones who helped the ill-
prepared Europeans to survive.

 Rather than “eat a lot,” perhaps we could send blankets, food, or money to any of the American 
Indian families or nations who today live in Third World conditions.

 

But we really should not forget our national roots. Don’t just give lip-service thanks to the Native 
Americans whose land was taken. Rather, find those organizations that are actually providing real 
assistance to Native Americans in poverty. 

Of course, we all know friends, family members, and even strangers in our midst who have great 
need. This Thanksgiving, give thanks for your plenty by sharing with those in your midst who have 
so little.


Pet of the Week

 Meet Max, a four-year-
old certified good boy 
at Pasadena Humane. 
Max is a gentle, 
affection Akita who 
loves nothing more 
than pets. He’ll even 
give you a soft nudge 
to remind you of that! 
After coming into the 
shelter when his owner 
could no longer care for 
him, he’s shown us just 
how calm and friendly 
he can be.

Max is great on a leash, 
takes treats very softly, 
is housetrained, and 
has done well around 
other dogs out on 
several adoption events. 
He is consistently loved 
by staff and volunteers alike, and has been described as easygoing, easy to handle, and 
all-around wonderful company.

If you’re looking for a loving guy who’s ready to steal your heart in no time, look no 
further. Max is available for a 10-day adoption trial today! 

The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, 
and age-appropriate vaccines. 

 Walk-in adoptions are available every day from 10:00 – 5:00. View photos of adoptable 
pets at pasadenahumane.org.

 New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA 
Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care 
for your pet.

 Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by 
phone calls or email.


PROTECT YOUR PETS FROM HOLIDAY HAZARDS

 You can bet that during the holiday season 
your pet is bound to sniff out leftovers, dig 
into the presents and have fun with all of 
your decorations. And while these holiday 
effects can spread cheer and joy amongst 
your human family members, they can be a 
real hazard to pets. This season, keep your 
holiday celebration safe, happy and healthy 
for pets by taking these key measures:

Decorate Wisely

Avoid poisonous holiday plants like poinsettias 
and holly. There are plenty of toxic-
free alternatives as evocative of the season 
as these traditional holiday favorites. If you 
must deck the halls with such plants, place 
them in an out of the way spot your pets can’t reach and keep your pets away from those areas of 
your home.

Tinsel and gift ribbons are tempting for pets that like to play with shiny things, but when swallowed, 
such items can cause intestinal obstructions. Clean up after opening presents and vacuum around 
the tree to pick up any gift debris, as well as fallen pine needles which pose a similar hazard.

Avoid the Problem

When it comes to the holidays, there’s no need to be a Grinch in order to keep your celebration safe 
for pets. New technologies are making it easier to teach pets to stay away from certain areas of your 
home, both indoors and outside. For example, Invisible Fence Brand Micro Shields Avoidance Solutions 
are small mobile wireless units to train pets to avoid areas of the home or yard where they 
might get in trouble. And if you have multiple pets, you can set different rules for different pets.

So don’t forgo that lovely holiday candle display just because you have a pet in your life. More information 
can be found at www.invisiblefence.com .

Watch Your Plate

As most great pet owners know, not all human foods are safe or healthy for pets. Pets can choke on 
bones in meat or fish dishes. And such foods as onions, macadamia nuts and chocolate -- which are 
commonly found in holiday cooking and baking -- are unsafe for dogs.

Avoid having your well-meaning guests sending Spot to the vet by laying ground rules about sharing 
food.

Also, one man’s trash is a pet’s treasure, so be sure e to keep the lid on the garbage secure. By 
taking proper precautions, you can keep the holidays festive this year for both you and your pets. 
(Statepoint)


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com