How might the Day of Mourning advance or hinder healing? In what ways are James’ and Keeler’s perspectives gifts to our nation?

The Day of Mourning can hinder the healing process as it will keep on reminding the hurt caused by Pilgrims rather than focusing on how Indians were able to survive those evil days.

James' and Keeler's persepctives are gifts to America as they present the adversity of dominion of one culture over other culture.

Explanation:

'The Day of Mourning' is a day birthed by Wamsutta James in 1970. The Day of Mourning is celebrated as the same day of Thanksgiving. For white society,  the Thanksgiving Day is a day of celebration of their survival but for Natives it is a day of mourning as their tribes began to diminsh drastically, according to James.

But, Jacqueline Keeler has a different perspective of the Thanksgiving Day. She believes that the Thanksgiving Day is a day of healing. Healing a world from evil. She participates in Thanksgiving meal not by thinking of what Pilgrims did to the Natives but what Natives did to Pilgrims. Knowing that Europeans have captured them for years, they still lend their help to them and taught how to grow crops. Natives, even after facing barbarious actions by Pilgrims were able to survive.

So, the Day of Mourning focuses on anger, hate, bitterness towards the white society, whereas Keeler's approach focuses on the survival of Native Indians. In this manner, the Day of Mourning can hinder the healing process. It will keep on inculcating hate and resentment in the hearts of Natives towards white people.

Differing views of James' and Keeler on Thanksgiving is a gift to American society as both the views present how dominion of one culture over the other can have adverse affects. It presents the view that how dominion of majority over minority can diminish the latter. This example is also able to inform the government that how they need to manage both the groups in a society to preserve both cultures.