Thanksgiving: Native Americans Hold National Day Of Mourning In Solidarity With Indigenous Struggles Around Globe

By Sara Hassan Photos: YouTube Screenshots For more than half a century, groups of Native Americans have been gathering on Thanksgiving to mark a National Day of Mourning at a historic site in Massachusetts. They honor their ancestors who were subject to atrocities by settlers in the 17th century. Over the years, they have also been a voice for other oppressed Indigenous groups around the world. On a grassy hill overlooking the water in Plymouth, Massachusetts, a couple thousand people gathered last November on what US calendars call Thanksgiving Day. Sitting in the nearby harbor next to Cole’s Hill was a replica of the original Mayflower ship that arrived in Massachusetts in 1620. The somber occasion remembered the atrocities faced by Native Americans over the centuries. Now, the event has expanded over the years to stand in solidarity with other Indigenous struggles across the world. The people who were gathered were energetic as they convened with a sense of unity and shared purpose. Every year since 1970, the United American Indians of New England has hosted a National Day of Mourning in opposition to Thanksgiving Day. That was the year when the Commonwealth of Massachusetts invited Wamsutta Frank James of...