The National Day of Mourning

The first National Day of Mourning was held on "Thanksgiving Day" in 1970. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts invited Wampanoag leader, Wamsutta, to the towns 350th anniversary of the pilgrims landing in hope he'd represent the indigenous component of the national holiday and deliver a speech to the townspeople. When the event organizers read a copy of Wamsutta's speech, he was uninvited for the following reason: "...the theme of the anniversary celebration is brotherhood and anything inflammatory would have been out of place." What was so frightening about Wamsuttas speech? It told the TRUTH about the pilgrims, their slave-trading, their desecration of the dead, theft of Wampanoag food and of their true relationship with the Native people. When the Massachusetts Commonwealth attempted to silence his position, he took his speech outside and spoke to hundreds of supporters and initiated what would later be a yearly tradition of protest and historical truth.

Since 1970, the National Day of Mourning protest has met with resistance and opposition from Plymouth residents, Pilgrim fans, and from the media. In 1997, mourners walking through Plymouth were met by more than 50 officers. After the crowd was "dispersed," 25 protesters were arrested (many of which went on to file charges against the police for brutality.) In 1998, a settlement was reached between Plymouth and the protesters, with town officials agreeing to pay $100,000 to the Metacom Education Fund, $15,000 for the erection of two historical plaques, and to provide support and public education for United American Indians of New England (UAINE) and the National Day of Mourning demonstration.

In 1999, on the 30th anniversary of Wamsutta's "uninvite," two plaques were dedicated to crimes against the American Indians. Over 800 people attended the National Day of Mourning Rally. Within house, Plymouth then paraded down the street in their annual "Pilgrim's Progress" - dressed as Pilgrims and carrying muskets and Bibles - to commemorate the survivor's of the Pilgrim's first winter.

"Today, as we have done each year since 1970, United American Indians of New England and our supporters have gathered here to protest and to speak out against the oppression of all people. It is hard to believe that today marks the 30th time that we have gathered on this hill, in all kinds of weather, to speak the truth. I wish I could say that we have always been welcomed here because we speak the truth. Over the years, those who do not want the truth to come out have tried many times and in many ways to silence us. Each and every year we have returned stronger and more determined than the year before."

~ Moonanum James ~ Co-Leader of UAINE, National Day of Mourning, 1999

The true reason those Pilgrims gave thanks was because the heathens were dead, dying or enslaved. I find this no reason to be thankful and as long as this country commemorates a historical lie, I will spend this day in mourning. After all, I can gather my family together in feast and fun any day of the year. But remembering those who gave their lives is much more important. For those souls who lived and died protecting their land, their family, their rights, and their spirituality - I give my thanks. And for a nation unable to face the truth of their own history - I will spend the day in mourning.

As most of America sits at her supper table honoring a lie, many of Americas' First People will be honoring the bravery of King Philip and his people... and mourning their massacre.

We've done the day of mourning for a few years now.
I don't really mind people having a harvest celebration or day to get together with family and friends. But to not acknowledge that it is based on celebrating atrocities that were committed against Native people is terrible.


How about a nice family feast to celebrate Krystalnacht?

shellyevon said:

Yeah...that would be about the same thing, right?

I do celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. I see it as a time when we are all off work, and together before a cold winter. Talking about what we've been doing....reminiscing. But, I make sure we all know what really happened, and we don't forget it. We have Blackfoot in our heritage on my grandmother's side, so we can't really celebrate having some of our ancestors slaughtered, now can we?
[Edited 11/21/07 8:34am]

Whenever the Day of Mourning is raised, I notice a lot of resistance and mockery toward people who acknowledge it. The 'offending' party is likely experiencing guilt, but the reaction to snuff this day or its meaning is out of line.

You're not evil if you celebrate Thanksgiving. There's nothing wrong with getting together with family and sharing thanks. It doesn't have to have political ties.

Two of my cousins are half Pomo and they catch grief for celebrating the Day of Mourning constantly.

INSATIABLE said:

I think there's a simple balance that can be achieved by acknowledging our atrocious past while still celebrating the spirit of what the holiday is "supposed" to be about as well. The two can very easily peacefully coexist, whichever side you choose to "celebrate" or however you co-mingle the two.

CarrieMpls said:

Absolutely. It would be ideal if we could stop creating ways to isolate ourselves from each other--acknowledging past tragedies and appreciating our familial unions simultaneously isn't rocket science.

i don't think there would be as much resistance to this if more of the actual history of native americans was taught in schools. who else learned about how fantastic andrew jackson was, but had the indian removal act & his involvement with that skimmed over?

evenstar said:

My high school U.S. History teacher blatantly denied any wrongdoing of gold rush settlers against native Californians.

When I and a friend proposed we include a few BOOKS FROM THE SCHOOL LIBRARY into the curriculum which acknowledged the massacres and sexual slavery of native women and children in the gold mines, he blatantly refused. The perverted drunk.

I still cannot believe our HOUGHTON-MIFFLIN texbook, written in 1996, didn't include ONE sentence explaining this history.

Thanksgiving celebrates...the crushing of the native American indian, right?

INSATIABLE said:

i was one of the 'freak liberal kids', so when i tried to bring up that point about andrew jackson in my class i basically got shouted down. then again, that teacher was the same one who celebrated "happy bombing day" when the war in iraq started. and really, can we be that surprised it's left out of textbooks? we can't enjoy the grand romantic notion of a bierstadt-illustrated manifest destiny when considering that kind of thing!

CarrieMpls said:

I agree

INSATIABLE said:

I agree with you guys



We call it Merry Giving of Thanks day here - and it is ALL about being greatful for family and blessings and honouring ancestors

I do feel a certain amount of guilt in celebrating a Holiday that commemorates the kindness & generosity of a people that were later slaughtered & disenfranchised by the very people they helped.

However, it's not as bad as celebrating Columbus Day.