Life — November 18, 1926 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Indian Massacre" Comic Analysis This is a satirical comic strip titled "The Indian Massacre: Why the Humble Turkey Is Our National Thanksgiving Dish." The narrative depicts European colonists arriving at a log settlement, encountering Native Americans, sharing a meal together, and then—in a dark satirical twist—the colonists attacking the Native Americans with weapons while arrows rain down on both groups. The final panel shows survivors giving thanks indoors. The satire works by presenting the historical narrative of Thanksgiving's origin in reverse moral logic: the comic acknowledges that colonists massacred Native Americans, yet ironically suggests this violence is "why" turkey became the traditional Thanksgiving dish—darkly implying Native Americans were displaced or eliminated, making colonial settlement possible. This reflects early 20th-century American satirical commentary on the sanitized Thanksgiving mythology.