In his final Thanksgiving proclamation, President Obama reflected on the Wampanoag Native Americans’ welcoming treatment of the pilgrims nearly 400 years ago and suggested the story of the first Thanksgiving should serve as an example for Americans today.

“This history teaches us that the American instinct has never been to seek isolation in opposite corners; it is to find strength in our common creed and forge unity from our great diversity,” Obama said on Wednesday, just hours before he pardoned his final turkey at the White House.