Day of Mourning at Plymouth Rock
Native people speak truth to power
By Greg Butterfield
Plymouth, Mass.
A rainbow of several hundred Native people and their
supporters gathered on Nov. 22 atop Cole's Hill in Plymouth,
Mass., near the statue of the Wampanoag leader Massasoit, to
mark the 32nd annual National Day of Mourning. Later they
marched past the Plymouth Rock monument to demand that the
truth be told about European colonists' 500 years of genocide
against Indigenous peoples in the Americas.
The call for this year's event, sponsored by the United
American Indians of New England (UAINE), explained why they had
come: "Since 1970, Native Americans have gathered at noon on
Cole's Hill in Plymouth to commemorate a National Day of
Mourning on the U.S. '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 the National Day of Mourning honor Native
ancestors and the struggles of Native peoples to survive
today."
Native peoples from many nations participated this year.
They were joined by a large, diverse group of
supporters--Black, Latino, Asian, Arab and white; lesbian, gay,
bi, trans and straight; disabled and able-bodied; young and
old. People came from all over New England, New York City, and
as far away as Baltimore.
Tradition of militant struggle
UAINE co-leader Moonanum James of the Wampanoag nation told
the crowd that the Day of Mourning is a solemn occasion. But it
is also "embedded in the spirit and tradition of militant
struggle" since its founding in 1970, when Native people seized
the Mayflower replica in Plymouth Harbor and buried Plymouth
Rock.
James and other speakers made it clear that there's no
better time than now to speak truth to power about the racism,
terror and lies that form an unbroken web, from the Mayflower
landing to the U.S. assault on Afghanistan.
"The events of Sept. 11 were certainly not the first acts of
terrorism to have occurred in this country," James reminded the
crowd.
"Since Columbus and the rest of the Europeans invaded our
lands, Native people have been virtually non-stop victims of
terrorism," he explained. "I think of the U.S. military
massacres of peaceful Native people at Wounded Knee and Sand
Creek and so many, many other places. I think of the assault by
the FBI on a peaceful encampment at Pine Ridge in the
1970s.
"Today we mourn the loss of millions of our ancestors and
the devastation of our beautiful land and water and air. We
join in grieving for those who lost their lives at the World
Trade Center. And I hope you will join me in grieving, too, for
the immense suffering of our sisters and brothers in
Afghanistan, in Palestine, in Iraq--human beings who are
referred to by this government as 'collateral damage.'
"We remember all too well that our people throughout the
Americas have for centuries been the 'collateral damage' of the
European invasion," James declared.
First victims of bioterrorism
The sun shone on Cole's Hill and a breeze lapped bright
yellow and pink banners declaring "Free Leonard Peltier" and
"Homophobia is not Native to these shores." No one seemed sorry
to be speaking out instead of home watching football.
Heads nodded and some shouted "That's right!" when James
said, "The very foundations of this powerful and wealthy
country are the theft of our lands and slaughter of Native
peoples and the kidnapping and enslavement of our African
American sisters and brothers.
"Native people were also the first victims of bioterrorism
in this country. The illnesses that the Europeans brought
devastated us," said James. "But this destruction was not
merely a biological accident. We know that smallpox was often
spread intentionally, by Lord Jeffrey Amherst and others, who
distributed smallpox-infested blankets to our ancestors. Entire
Native nations were wiped out as a result."
And the genocidal policies of the U.S. government continue
to this day, he added.
"Racism is still alive and well. Our people still are mired
in the deepest poverty. We still lack decent health care,
education and housing. Every winter, thousands of our people
have to make a bitter choice between heating and eating."
Dedicated to Peltier
and Wamsutta
UAINE co-leader Mahtowin Munro of the Lakota nation said
that the Day of Mourning's purpose isn't to make white people
"feel sorry." "There needs to be rectification, conditions need
to change," she challenged. "We need to be free in our own
land--that's what it's about. We march to wash away the lies so
the people can reclaim these streets."
Only four years ago, in 1997, police attacked the Day of
Mourning activity and arrested 25 marchers. After a hard-fought
international campaign, all charges were dropped against the 25
defendants. The city of Plymouth was forced to concede to UAINE
the right to march every year.
This year's commemoration was dedicated to Leonard Peltier,
political prisoner and American Indian Movement warrior, and to
Wamsutta Frank James, former leader of UAINE and founder of the
National Day of Mourning, who passed away this year.
In a statement to the gathering, Peltier said: "We must not
be afraid to raise our voices. We must not stand by while the
government takes our civil rights." Bert Waters, a Wampanoag
representing the Massachusetts Commission on Indian Affairs,
urged people to join the new campaign to have Peltier's
sentence reduced and make him eligible for parole.
Peltier has been imprisoned for over 25 years, charged with
killing two FBI agents at Pine Ridge, S.D. But as a banner here
pointed out, even a federal prosecutor on his case admitted he
didn't know who really killed the agents.
Wamsutta Frank James, a Wampanoag leader, initiated the Day
of Mourning in 1970 after Massachusetts officials refused to
let him speak the truth at a dinner commemorating the Pilgrims'
arrival.
Other speakers included Clint Wixon of the Wampanoag nation;
Nisha Hopkins, a storyteller of the Schagticoke nation; Tall
Oak of the Wampanoag/Pequot; and Lone Eagless of the Wampanoag.
Sam Sapiel, a Penobscot elder, led the opening ceremony
honoring Wamsutta Frank James and spoke about the importance of
unity for Native people. Andres y Grupo Sabo performed music in
the Nicaraguan Indigenous tradition.
After the rally, participants marched through the streets of
downtown Plymouth. They stopped at Post Office Square--where
the European invaders gruesomely displayed the head of
Massasoit's son Metacomet for 25 years--and at the Plymouth
Rock monument. There Moonanum James recalled the words of
Malcolm X: "We didn't land on Plymouth Rock--Plymouth Rock
landed on us."
The day ended with a social in a school cafeteria. The
participants shared food and discussed the next steps in the
struggle.
Reprinted from the Dec. 6, 2001, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
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