A cartoon family of two grandparents, two parents, a child, a dog, and a Puffin pile in for a big hug. The text reads "giving thanks for family, friends, and pets"

Puffin Holiday Hours & Resources

November 22, 2023

The Puffin Foundation will be closed from at 1pm Wednesday 11/22, all day Thursday 11/23 and Friday 11/24. We will resume normal hours on Monday. However you celebrate Thanksgiving we hope you are surrounded by love and know that Puffin is grateful for your support!

We also encourage those of us celebrating Thanksgiving to take the time today to learn about the Indigenous people of the land on which you live. This interactive land map from Native Land Digital, a Canadian not-for-profit organization, will help you start. Historically Puffin and Teaneck are Lenni-Lenape land. Today, you can find The Ramapough-Munsee Lenape Nation nestled in the foot hills of the Ramapos, on the NY/NJ border known famously as the Ramapo Pass. You can find their heritage museum in Stony Point, NY or online here.

If you’re interested in further reading the following paragraphs are excepts from the blog at Native Hope, nonprofit organization dedicated to dismantling barriers for Native people and to bringing hope and healing through the power of storytelling.

The History of Thanksgiving from the Native American Perspective

There are always two sides to a story. Unfortunately, when it comes to the history of Thanksgiving, generations of Americans have been taught a one-sided history in homes and schools.

The dominant cultural and historical story has been told from the perspective of the European colonialists who landed near Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts in 1620. In this version o]f the Thanksgiving story, the holiday commemorates the peaceful, friendly meeting of English settlers and the Wampanoag tribe for three days of feasting and Thanksgiving in 1621. 

Every year, news outlets and social media are a-buzz with Thanksgiving themes.

There is little coverage of the fact that November is Native American Heritage Month or that the day after Thanksgiving, known to most as Black Friday, is Native American Heritage Day.

What is the Real Meaning of Thanksgiving?

As we gather this Thanksgiving, we wish the hearts of all people, Native and non-Native, are filled with hope and healing. Together, let’s pledge to dismantle the physical, economic, educational, psychological, and spiritual barriers that divide and oppress us.

Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Day allow us to reflect on our collective history and celebrate the beauty, strength, and resilience of the Native tribes of North America.

  • We remember the generosity of the Wampanoag tribe to the European settlers.
  • We remember the hundreds of thousands of Native Americans who lost their lives because of the ignorance and greed of colonists and the genocide experienced by whole tribes.
  • We remember the vibrant and resilient Native descendants, families, and communities that persist to this day throughout the culture and the country.
  • We give thanks to people like Sharice Davids and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, whose hard work and diligence helped place them in positions where the Native American voice can be heard.

Last but not least, we remember all of the friends and family of Native Hope who have embraced our mission of healing and storytelling. We give thanks to you for your support!

Source: The History of Thanksgiving from the Native American Perspective

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