Tomorrow is my third favorite holiday — Thanksgiving, the day that keeps the food porn industry in business.

Fluffy, buttery biscuits aside, Thanksgiving is supposed to be about more than just gorging yourself on delicious food. In elementary school, I was taught that Thanksgiving was a day of delicious friendship between the Native Americans and the Pilgrims. Among the stereotypes and other “little” white lies taught in grade school, this was perhaps one of the boldest.

There is not a standard Native American way to view Thanksgiving. Some associate Thanksgiving with the beginning of — or at least a symbol of — the Native American genocide. Instead of celebrating it, they recognize it as a day of mourning. But it’s not a day that every Native person hates. Thanksgiving is a very personal day for many Native Americans. Others view it as a family day to celebrate the things they do have — you know, they actually give thanks.

Native Americans have had to endure a harsh plight throughout American history. They have suffered a twisted kind of xenophobia. The phrase or any variation of “Why don’t you go back to your own country?” doesn’t work with indigenous people. Everyone who is not fully Native American has an immigrant past and, as a result, has a more limited history with America in comparison to Native Americans. How is it fair, then, that Native people have had to give up a majority of their land and freedom when this was originally their home for such a long time?

Despite the hardships and racism they have faced from the U.S. government, according to the Navy’s website, “Native Americans have the highest record of service per capita when compared to other ethnic groups.” They are also among the smallest minority groups in the United States.

Some of the conditions that Native Americans have to face on reservations are terrible, and a few reservations can even be compared to Third World countries. According to the 2000 Census, 11.7 percent of residents on Native American lands lack complete plumbing facilities while only 1.2 percent of the general U.S. population goes without.

Also, there aren’t many good educational opportunities on reservations,  and there are high incidences of alcoholism even though many reservations are dry. They also suffer from high rates of unemployment and poverty.

However, things are slowly starting to look up. President Barack Obama signed the Native American Heritage Day Act of 2009 in June, designating the Friday immediately after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) as the official day to honor Native Americans and their traditions. Gov. Martin O’Malley had a lot to do with propagating this act, and Maryland will be actively celebrating it.

Native American cultures tend to go against the mass commercialism and the consumerism associated with Thanksgiving. This is why it’s such a good thing that Black Friday will be used as a day to actually examine and honor Native American history. The commercial aspect should not be the focus of the national population.

Instead of just impregnating yourself with a food baby this Thanksgiving, use it to spend time with your family and the people you love. Instead of just running up bills on Black Friday, partake in the state’s celebration of Native American Heritage Day. I’ll see you guys back on Monday with a tummy full of yummy (it made me giggle), brand new electronics from Best Buy and a better understanding of Native American culture.

Shruti Rastogi is a senior journalism major. She can be reached at rastogi at umdbk dot com.