In honor of Thanksgiving, Piedmont Advantage Credit Union’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee hosted its annual Friendsgiving Celebration on Thursday, November 6. Participating employees and their guests enjoyed a holiday meal, lighthearted conversations with their colleagues and a presentation focused on Native American History.

This time of year, we typically hear stories about the pilgrims who settled in the Americas and how they celebrated the first Thanksgiving alongside the native population. The presentation given by Josh Brooks, a local high school teacher and UNC Asheville graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in History specializing in American History, highlights the lesser-known side of the story.

And a resident expert in Native American History, Josh helped create the curriculum for Winston-Salem Forsyth County School’s first-ever American Indian history elective course. Native American history is a subject that is important to him. “This should be required learning,” Josh said.

And, honestly, he’s right.

Josh walked us through the hard parts of history we don’t always talk about. From the Walking Purchase in 1737 to the Wounded Knee Occupation in 1973, his presentation followed the timeline of events that ultimately led to the displacement and resettlement of several Native American tribes and the story of how Hollywood stereotypes resulted in the erasure of cultural traditions. The impact of these historical events is reflected in the modern-day issues Native Americans face.

“Native Americans have and continue to deal with some of the worst issues, like poverty and chronic health and substance abuse issues, in the country, and we just ignore it,” Josh said. He broke down the statistics, stating that 19% of Indigenous communities live in poverty, which is nearly double the national average at 11%.

But here’s the part that sparks hope. Native communities are taking back control financially, cooperatively and collectively.

In response to the growing concerns over the poverty these communities face, Native Americans have started a movement to take back control of their financial systems. From the first Native American credit union, Lakota Federal Credit Union, formed in 2012, to now 45 that have at least partial Native American ownership, these financial institutions are making a difference.

In 2024, the Native American Credit Union Coalition was formed to better support credit unions serving tribes and Indigenous communities, according to CU Times. These credit unions support their local businesses and offer financial literacy programs. As PACU well knows, offering programs that educate and support members through financial crisis is an integral part of community stewardship.

Not only was Josh’s presentation informative and educational, but it also gave our employees and guests the chance to ask questions and consider how this topic relates to some of the eight cooperative principles, such as Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, and Concern for the Community. Thank you, Josh. We look forward to hosting this event again next year.