National Day of Mourning (United States)
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The National Day of Mourning is an annual protest held on the fourth Thursday of November (known to many as Thanksgiving) in the United States of America since 1970.
The 35th National Day of Mourning was held on Thursday, November 25, 2004, and was dedicated to convicted murderer Leonard Peltier, believed by some (including Amnesty International)[1] to be a political prisoner. Many American Indians and their supporters will gather at the top of Coles Hill, overlooking Plymouth Rock, just as Wamsutta (Frank B.) James (1923 - February 20, 2001), an Aquinnah Wampanoag elder and Native American activist, did in at the first protest in 1970. Thanksgiving day, for them, is a reminder of the democide of the Native people. Participants in 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 some Native Americans continue to perceive. The protest is organized by the United American Indians of New England (UAINE).
The recasting of traditional Thanksgiving by some Native Americans as a National Day of Mourning is not widely embraced by most Americans. The National Day of Mourning is not recognized as either a national holiday, nor broadly accepted as a cause justifying recognition of racism, oppression, or democide. As historic evidence and research indicates [2] [3], the vast majority of the native people’s population (Some reporting nearly 90% [4]) succumbed to infectious diseases from Europe such as measles, influenza, and smallpox, the outbreak of which pre-dates the Pilgrim's arrivial. [5]. Such historic evidence [6] although broadly embraced, undermine the case for reparations held by UAINE and others.
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[edit] History
Since 1921 (the 300th year after the first Thanksgiving) the Commonwealth of Massachusetts stage a reenactment of Thanksgiving each year. They 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. This annual event had even become something of a tourist attraction.
The National Day of Mourning began on the 350th anniversary celebration of the Pilgrims' arrival on Wampanoag American Indian's land. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts was planning to celebrate friendly relations between their forefathers and the Wampanoag. Wamsutta was invited to make a speech at the celebration. However, when the anniversary planners reviewed his speech beforehand, they decided it was not appropriate for their celebration. The reason given was, "...the theme of the anniversary celebration is brotherhood and anything inflammatory would have been out of place." (Source: UAINE) Wamsutta used as a basis for his speech one of the Pilgrim's books - a Pilgrim's account of their first year on Indian land. The book tells of the opening of his ancestor's graves, taking their wheat and bean supplies, and of the selling of his ancestors as slaves for 220 shillings each. Upon being handed a revised speech, written by a public relations person, Wamsutta decided he would not be attending the celebration. Instead, to protest the continued silencing of the American Indian people, he and his supporters went to neighbouring Coles Hill, near the statue of Massasoit (leader of the Wampanoag when the Pilgrims landed). Overlooking the Plymouth Harbour and the Mayflower replica, he gave his speech. This was the first National Day of Mourning.
The National Day of Mourning protest in Plymouth continues to this day, now led by his son, and the group James helped found in 1970, UAINE.
In 1997 this protest erupted in violence and arrests were made. More recent protests have been held on Coles Hill, overlooking but not at Plymouth Rock. The originators have been joined by black, Hispanic, and even gay rights activists in protest. Typically several hundred protesters appear.
[edit] 1997 Violence
In 1996, Latinos for Social Change, in support of the UAINE, marched to Plymouth Commons at the same time as the Mayflower Society had their Pilgrim Progress parade. Police rerouted the Pilgrim parade in order to avoid conflict. In 1997, the Pilgrim Progress parade occurred at 10am and went undisturbed.
The gathering of people to commemorate the 28th National Day of Mourning were greeted by police, state troopers, and other police agencies. There are accounts of pepper spray being used in the eyes of elders and children. Twenty-five persons were arrested and faced charges ranging from assembly without a permit to assault and battery on a police officer. (Source) In October of 1998 a settlement favorable to United American Indians of New England (UAINE)-the organizers of the event-- was reached. (Source)
[edit] Will the Protest Ever End?
According to a speech by Moonanum James, Co-Leader of United American Indians of New England at the 29th National Day of Mourning, November 26, 1998:
" Some ask us: Will you ever stop protesting? Some day we will stop protesting: We will stop protesting when the merchants of Plymouth are no longer making millions of dollars off the blood of our slaughtered ancestors. We will stop protesting when we can act as sovereign nations on our own land without the interference of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and what Sitting Bull called the "favorite ration chiefs." When corporations stop polluting our mother, the earth. When racism has been eradicated. When the oppression of Two-Spirited people is a thing of the past. We will stop protesting when homeless people have homes and no child goes to bed hungry. When police brutality no longer exists in communities of color. We will stop protesting when Leonard Peltier and Mumia Abu Jamal and the Puerto Rican independentistas and all the political prisoners are free.
Until then, the struggle will continue." (Source)
[edit] Wamsutta's Speech
I speak to you as a man -- a Wampanoag Man. I am a proud man, proud of my ancestry, my accomplishments won by a strict parental direction ("You must succeed - your face is a different color in this small Cape Cod community!"). I am a product of poverty and discrimination from these two social and economic diseases. I, and my brothers and sisters, have painfully overcome, and to some extent we have earned the respect of our community. We are Indians first - but we are termed "good citizens." Sometimes we are arrogant but only because society has pressured us to be so.
It is with mixed emotion that I stand here to share my thoughts. This is a time of celebration for you - celebrating an anniversary of a beginning for the white man in America. A time of looking back, of reflection. It is with a heavy heart that I look back upon what happened to my People.
Even before the Pilgrims landed it was common practice for explorers to capture Indians, take them to Europe and sell them as slaves for 220 shillings apiece. The Pilgrims had hardly explored the shores of Cape Cod for four days before they had robbed the graves of my ancestors and stolen their corn and beans. Mourt's Relation describes a searching party of sixteen men. Mourt goes on to say that this party took as much of the Indians' winter provisions as they were able to carry.
Massasoit, the great Sachem of the Wampanoag, knew these facts, yet he and his People welcomed and befriended the settlers of the Plymouth Plantation. Perhaps he did this because his Tribe had been depleted by an epidemic. Or his knowledge of the harsh oncoming winter was the reason for his peaceful acceptance of these acts. This action by Massasoit was perhaps our biggest mistake. We, the Wampanoag, welcomed you, the white man, with open arms, little knowing that it was the beginning of the end; that before 50 years were to pass, the Wampanoag would no longer be a free people.
What happened in those short 50 years? What has happened in the last 300 years? History gives us facts and there were atrocities; there were broken promises - and most of these centered around land ownership. Among ourselves we understood that there were boundaries, but never before had we had to deal with fences and stone walls. But the white man had a need to prove his worth by the amount of land that he owned. Only ten years later, when the Puritans came, they treated the Wampanoag with even less kindness in converting the souls of the so-called "savages." Although the Puritans were harsh to members of their own society, the Indian was pressed between stone slabs and hanged as quickly as any other "witch."
And so down through the years there is record after record of Indian lands taken and, in token, reservations set up for him upon which to live. The Indian, having been stripped of his power, could only stand by and watch while the white man took his land and used it for his personal gain. This the Indian could not understand; for to him, land was survival, to farm, to hunt, to be enjoyed. It was not to be abused. We see incident after incident, where the white man sought to tame the "savage" and convert him to the Christian ways of life. The early Pilgrim settlers led the Indian to believe that if he did not behave, they would dig up the ground and unleash the great epidemic again.
The white man used the Indian's nautical skills and abilities. They let him be only a seaman -- but never a captain. Time and time again, in the white man's society, we Indians have been termed "low man on the totem pole."
Has the Wampanoag really disappeared? There is still an aura of mystery. We know there was an epidemic that took many Indian lives - some Wampanoags moved west and joined the Cherokee and Cheyenne. They were forced to move. Some even went north to Canada! Many Wampanoag put aside their Indian heritage and accepted the white man's way for their own survival. There are some Wampanoag who do not wish it known they are Indian for social or economic reasons.
What happened to those Wampanoags who chose to remain and live among the early settlers? What kind of existence did they live as "civilized" people? True, living was not as complex as life today, but they dealt with the confusion and the change. Honesty, trust, concern, pride, and politics wove themselves in and out of their [the Wampanoags'] daily living. Hence, he was termed crafty, cunning, rapacious, and dirty.
History wants us to believe that the Indian was a savage, illiterate, uncivilized animal. A history that was written by an organized, disciplined people, to expose us as an unorganized and undisciplined entity. Two distinctly different cultures met. One thought they must control life; the other believed life was to be enjoyed, because nature decreed it. Let us remember, the Indian is and was just as human as the white man. The Indian feels pain, gets hurt, and becomes defensive, has dreams, bears tragedy and failure, suffers from loneliness, needs to cry as well as laugh. He, too, is often misunderstood.
The white man in the presence of the Indian is still mystified by his uncanny ability to make him feel uncomfortable. This may be the image the white man has created of the Indian; his "savageness" has boomeranged and isn't a mystery; it is fear; fear of the Indian's temperament!
High on a hill, overlooking the famed Plymouth Rock, stands the statue of our great Sachem, Massasoit. Massasoit has stood there many years in silence. We the descendants of this great Sachem have been a silent people. The necessity of making a living in this materialistic society of the white man caused us to be silent. Today, I and many of my people are choosing to face the truth. We ARE Indians!
Although time has drained our culture, and our language is almost extinct, we the Wampanoags still walk the lands of Massachusetts. We may be fragmented, we may be confused. Many years have passed since we have been a people together. Our lands were invaded. We fought as hard to keep our land as you the whites did to take our land away from us. We were conquered, we became the American prisoners of war in many cases, and wards of the United States Government, until only recently.
Our spirit refuses to die. Yesterday we walked the woodland paths and sandy trails. Today we must walk the macadam highways and roads. We are uniting We're standing not in our wigwams but in your concrete tent. We stand tall and proud, and before too many moons pass we'll right the wrongs we have allowed to happen to us.
We forfeited our country. Our lands have fallen into the hands of the aggressor. We have allowed the white man to keep us on our knees. What has happened cannot be changed, but today we must work towards a more humane America, a more Indian America, where men and nature once again are important; where the Indian values of honor, truth, and brotherhood prevail.
You the white man are celebrating an anniversary. We the Wampanoags will help you celebrate in the concept of a beginning. It was the beginning of a new life for the Pilgrims. Now, 350 years later it is a beginning of a new determination for the original American: the American Indian.
There are some factors concerning the Wampanoags and other Indians across this vast nation. We now have 350 years of experience living amongst the white man. We can now speak his language. We can now think as a white man thinks. We can now compete with him for the top jobs. We're being heard; we are now being listened to. The important point is that along with these necessities of everyday living, we still have the spirit, we still have the unique culture, we still have the will and, most important of all, the determination to remain as Indians. We are determined, and our presence here this evening is living testimony that this is only the beginning of the American Indian, particularly the Wampanoag, to regain the position in this country that is rightfully ours.
Wamsutta
September 10, 1970
[edit] References
- Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond (1997)
- "Death by Disease" by Ann F. Ramenofsky in "Archaeology" (March/April 1992)
- Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War by Nathaniel Philbrick (2006)
- ^ Amnesty International Calls for the Release of Leonard Peltier
- ^ Diamond (1997)
- ^ Philbrick (2006)
- ^ See Population history of American indigenous peoples
- ^ Ramenofsky, Vol. 45, No. 2, pp. 47-49
- ^ Diamond (1997) – Diamond explains that the European’s superior resilience to disease stems from the advancement of their society from hunting-fishing to an agrarian society, and the resulting immunization from animal borne disease through natural selection of society from surviving outbreaks.
