How the Wampanoag's Spend Thanksgiving

For the most part, I've always enjoyed Thanksgiving. A lot of its concepts are worthwhile (like feasting, family, fall harvest festivities, and of course, thinking about the wonderful things in your life).

Happy Thanksgiving! *

*if you're in the United States. Canadians may disregard this date and pretend it is one month earlier.

But not everyone views today as awesome.
Today, the Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts gathers for the National Day of Mourning.

Here is a great 10-page read put out by the National Museum of American Indians: American Indian Perspectives on Thanksgiving (note: this is a PDF file). I figure some food for thought is a great way to get things going. Now, the NMAI is incredibly politically correct about how it goes about addressing Thanksgiving. So let's get into the politically incorrect: what do Wampanoag's (the American Indian tribe who the Puritans interacted with) do for Thanksgiving nowadays?

As I learned last year in a Thanksgiving lecture put on by the American Indian Studies at UW, the Wampanoag's hold a National Day of Mourning on Thanksgiving, where they gather at Cole's Hill and protest.

It started originally when the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (a particularly snoody society of white men) decided back in 1970 to invite the then leader of the Wampanoag Native American tribe, Frank B. James (known as Wamsutta) to Plymouth Mass, the site of the “first Thanksgiving”, and give a speech about the meaning Thanksgiving. Since 1920 (the 300th year after the first Thanksgiving), the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has staged an annual reenactment of Thanksgiving. People gather at a church on the site of the Pilgrims' original meeting house, in 17th century costume. After prayers and a sermon, they march to Plymouth Rock. There Wamsutta was to tell the same tale with in American Indian twist.

Instead, Wamsutta ibased his speech on a Pilgrim's account of the first year on Indian land--which recounted the opening of graves, taking the Indians' corn and bean supplies, and selling Wampanoag as slaves for 220 shillings each. The Commonwealth caught wind of this and desperately tried to un-invite him as a public speaker.  Wamsutta decided he would not attend the celebration and to protest the silencing of the American Indian people, he and his supporters went to neighboring Coles Hill, near the statue of Massasoit (leader of the Wampanoag when the Pilgrims landed). Overlooking the Plymouth Harbour and the Mayflower replica, Wamsutta gave his speech and declared that the Fourth Sunday of November would no longer be known to Native Americans as Thanksgiving but instead the National Day of Mourning. Naturally the Commonwealth was disgusted.

Since that first gathering, Native Americans and their supporters have gathered on Cole’s Hill in Plymouth Massachusetts on the Fourth Thursday of November at noon to commemorate The National Day of Mourning. There has been a plaque placed at the site which reads:

“Since 1970, Native Americans have gathered at noon on Cole’s Hill in Plymouth to commemorate a National Day of Mourning on the US Thanksgiving holiday. Many Native Americans do not celebrate the arrival of the Pilgrims and other European settlers. To them, Thanksgiving Day is a reminder of the genocide of millions of their people, the theft of their lands, and the relentless assault on their culture. Participants in a National Day of Mourning honor Native ancestors and the struggles of Native peoples to survive today. It is a day of remembrance and spiritual connection as well as a protest of the racism and oppression which Native Americans continue to experience.”

The protest has been going on for 39 years. The state of Massachusettes has always tried to keep this protest on the down low and it rarely receives national attention. In 1997 state troopers and police met the protesters citing that they were protested without a warrant. Some accounts state that pepper spray was used on children and the elderly. Twenty-five people were arrested on charges ranging from battery on an officer to assembling without a permit. In an effort to avoid another conflict, the state reached a settlement with United American Indians of New England (UNAINE) in October 1998.

The Wampanoag Native American tribe has been quoted as saying they will continue with their National Day of Mourning ceremonies and rallies until American history books reflect what truly happened to their people once the Pilgrims came to this country.

Enjoy this article on the protest!