Thanksgiving activities filled the pages of local newspapers throughout North Dakota. Details about plans, table fare, festivities, and guests at private homes were reported throughout the century, as well as Thanksgiving events at state and federal institutions. These stories often portrayed such places as a "gravy train" funded by taxpayers and human-interest stories that highlighted the societal benefits of these institutions.
In 1925, Warden Lee announced the Thanksgiving menu for the state penitentiary. The Bismarck Tribune reported that prisoners at the North Dakota penitentiary would enjoy a better meal than many people outside the prison. The article stated, “Every turkey on the prison farm was expected to become a victim of Warden Lee’s desire to give the men under his charge a real old-fashioned Thanksgiving dinner.” The meal also included chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas, apple pie, ice cream, and treats like celery, olives, and preserves.
In 1935, boys and girls at the state training school in Mandan would enjoy turkey and pumpkin pie, preceded by a chapel service. Superintendent W. McClelland said the youthful inmates could eat to their hearts' content, with first aid attendants on hand in case of any issues.
Mandan was the only youth correctional facility in the U.S. to offer high school classes in 1938 and one of only four in the country to house both boys and girls. Until 1947, it also served as an orphanage for children of incarcerated parents.
In 1948, students at Wahpeton Indian School could choose between turkey, chicken, beef, or pork for their Thanksgiving dinner. However, Superintendent Morrison noted that the children preferred roast ham over turkey, which they ate once a week. The school's Thanksgiving festivities included a carnival, plays, music, sports, and games. Distinguished speakers included notable Native Americans and alumni.
Wahpeton Indian School, established in 1904, primarily served Turtle Mountain Chippewa children. The 1892 McCumber Agreement had taken their lands, leading to poverty and hardship. The school’s agricultural program ended, and its land was later sold to public schools and the State School of Science.
The way Thanksgiving has been celebrated reflects deeper stories of North Dakota’s culture, identity, and hardship. What we celebrate today is part of a much larger, sometimes difficult history—and history is a loaded plate.
Dakota Dateline by Lise Erdrich
Sources:
- Menu for Tomorrow’s Dinner. The Bismarck Tribune, November 25, 1925, Page 1
- TURKEY FOR PRISONERS. The Bismarck Tribune, November 27, 1935, Page 4
- INDIAN CHILDREN CALL FOR PORK. No Turkey for Local Youngsters. The Richland County Farmer Globe, November 23, 1948. Page 1
- http://www.mandanhistory.org/arealandmarks/youthcorrectionalcenter.html. Mandan Historical Society -- Working to Promote Mandan's Heritage since 2004.
- LAND EXCHANGED FOR INDIAN SCHOLARSHIPS AT SCIENCE SCHOOL. Richland County Farmer Globe, July 24, 1958
- The True, Dark History of Thanksgiving. November 25, 2020.
- Wahpeton Indian School History interviews with elders, alumni and employees. National Endowment for the Humanities Scholar in Residence program, 2011. Liselotte Erdrich and Gregory Gagnon.
