Gratitude and Mourning, 2022

​It’s November. A month of gratitude and feasting… and also of mourning.

Have you heard about the National Day of Mourning? It falls on Thanksgiving Day, and is a way to honor and observe the real origins of the Thanksgiving holiday.
 
Thanksgiving has been celebrated since 1637, when it was proclaimed by the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony to celebrate the safe return of the men who had gone to fight against the Pequot tribe. The fighting led to the enslavement and massacre of over 700 Pequot men, women, and children.
 
In 1970, a Native American leader named Wamsutta Frank James was invited to give a speech at an event celebrating the 350th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims. He wrote a speech focusing on the real history of Thanksgiving. The event’s organizers cancelled his appearance, which prompted him to start the National Day of Mourning.
 
The National Day of Mourning has been observed ever since by many people across North America. Each year, hundreds of people gather in Plymouth to commemorate the National Day of Mourning. How will you commemorate the event?
 
Learn more here:

• From Boston.com ("National Day of Mourning Reflects on Thanksgiving’s Horrific, Bloody History"). 
• From CNN ("National Day of Mourning Turns Thanksgiving into Something More Honest").