Today is also National Day of Mourning, which is meant to honor Native Americans who died due to the European invasion, and to educate about the bloody history behind the November holiday. Many Americans are familiar with the traditional story of Thanksgiving where, in 1621, the Pilgrims and Wampanoag people came together to give thanks and share a meal. However, not many are aware of the events that led to the first official “Day of Thanksgiving.” As a holiday, Thanksgiving began in 1637 when it was proclaimed by governor John Winthrop of the Massachusetts Bay Colony to celebrate the safe return of the men who had gone to fight against the Pequot in Mystic, Conn. The fighting led to the enslavement and massacre of over 700 men, women, and children from the New England-based tribe, a bloody precursor to what would be centuries of strife for native peoples in the U.S. In 1970, Wampanoag leader Wamsutta Frank James hoped to speak about this overlooked aspect of history when he was invited to give a speech at a banquet celebrating the 350th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims. After reading a draft of his talking points, the dinner’s organizers decided to cancel Wamsutta’s appearance, which prompted him to start the National Day of Mourning. “We call it a National Day of Mourning because when the Pilgrims and Columbus all landed over here, that was the end of our lives as we knew them – our land had been stolen,” says Moonanum James, son of Wamsutta. “It was like my father’s speech stated: They opened our graves and they grabbed as much as they could take back.” Rather than dwell on the sins of the past, the United American Indians of New England (UAINE) hopes the National Day of Mourning brings more awarness to the problems facing Native Americans today. Despite the serious issues at hand, the National Day of Mourning does seem to speak to what Thanksgiving should be about, which is bringing people of different faiths and backgrounds together. The event includes activities such as traditional dances as well as a pot-luck dinner, all of which is organized by volunteers. “It’s not anti-Thanksgiving,” Moonanum says. “We feed 300-400 people, even up to 500 people on the National Day of Mourning.” Munro says that the event brings in people from the “four directions,” including native and indigenous peoples from across the country and the world, as well as non-native allies. “What it speaks to is people joining together for truth and for reality and to speak truth to power,” Munro says.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 21:13:30 +0000
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