Although the Thanksgiving many Canadians know and love has been celebrated for many, many years, the tradition of giving thanks and celebrating the fall harvest predates the arrival of European settlers. Indigenous peoples had traditions of celebrating the bountiful fall harvest by feasting, prayer, dance and other ceremonies for thousands of years. It’s also important to recognize that this holiday also has a complicated, traumatic history for my ancestors: many were killed in the 1600s after they shared their harvest foods with the Europeans. An Indigenous feast of traditional harvested foods is how we as Canadians can remember the past and still participate in the custom of giving thanks and celebrating with family, friends and loved ones.