National Day of Mourning
Let's not forget the sacrifices of the Native ancestors who paved the way for their traditions and heritage to thrive.
Amplify Native American voices and historical narratives through educational content and community-led storytelling that honors indigenous heritage and challenges dominant historical narratives.
- Share untold Native American histories and perspectives that counter mainstream Thanksgiving narratives
- Partner with Native-led organizations to elevate indigenous voices and advocacy
- Host educational events or webinars exploring Native American resilience and cultural continuity
- Create documentary-style content featuring Native American leaders discussing historical recognition and contemporary struggles
While the story of Thanksgiving tells about a mutual benefit between the Pilgrims and Native Americans, this holiday tells a different side of history. The United American Indians of New England (UAINE) created this holiday to publicize the democide and misrepresentation of Native Americans.
The UANIE is a Native-led, self-supporting organization advocating for the recognition of struggles of Native Americans and political prisoners.
The day was founded based off of an experience one Native had. According to their website, Wamsutta, an Aquinnah Wampanoag man, had been asked to speak at a fancy Commonwealth of Massachusetts banquet celebrating the 350th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims and asked for a copy of the speech.
Within days Wamsutta was told by a representative of the Department of Commerce and Development that he would not be allowed to give the speech. Since then, UANIE asks participants to partake in the National Day of Mourning to understand the racism and oppression they faced, as well as find a spiritual remembrance of those throughout history.
Their main location for their activities takes place in Cole’s Hill, Plymouth, Massachusetts. They invite speakers and march through the Plymouth district in hopes of understanding the truth about history and the misrepresentation of it throughout generations.