Frank (Wamsutta) James, fighter for Native rights
By United
American Indians
of New England
Frank B. (Wamsutta) James, an Aquinnah Wampanoag elder and
Native activist, died Feb. 20 at the age of 77.
James first came to national attention in 1970 when he,
along with hundreds of other Native people and their
supporters, went to Plymouth, Mass., and declared
"Thanksgiving Day" a National Day of Mourning for Native
Americans.
The National Day of Mourning protest continues to this
day, now led by James' son, Moonanum James.
James was proud of his Native American heritage long
before it was fashionable. He spent many hours researching
the history of the Wampanoag Nation and the English invasion
of the New England region.
A brilliant trumpet player, James was the first Native
American graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music in
1948.
While many of his classmates secured positions with top
symphony orchestras, James was flatly told that, due to
segregation and racism, no orchestra in the country would
hire him because of his dark skin.
In 1957, James became a music teach er on Cape Cod. He was
a very popular and influential instructor. He went on to
become the director of music of the Nauset Regional Schools,
retiring in 1989.
Devoted to fighting racism
James devoted much of his life to fighting against racism
and to fighting for the rights of all Native people.
He often traveled long distances to be at Native American
protests, including the Trail of Broken Treaties in
Washington in 1972, when activists took over the Bureau of
Indian Affairs build ing. He joined in the historic Longest
Walk from California to Washington in 1978.
Although James was less active in recent years due to
declining health, he always maintained an interest in all
Native American struggles, particularly the struggle to free
political prisoner Leonard Peltier.
He was the moderator of United American Indians of New
England from 1970 until the mid-1990s. UAINE is the
organization that organizes the National Day of Mourning
protests in Plymouth.
In 1970 Massachusetts Gov. Frank
Sargent asked James, then the president of the Federated
Eastern Indian League, to write a speech commemorating the
350th anniversary of the Pilgrims' landing in Plymouth.
Instead James wrote a scathing indictment of the Pilgrims for
robbing Native graves, stealing food and land and decimating
the population with disease. He vowed that the Wampanoag and
other Native peoples would regain their rightful place.
James was dropped from the program after he refused to
rewrite the speech.
Instead he organized the first National Day of Mourning,
drawing support from as far away as South Dakota. The drums,
chants and speeches overshadowed the "official" ceremonies,
and have continued to do so.
James was considered a Renaissance man by many who knew
him. He was a gifted painter, scrimshaw artist, silversmith,
draftsperson, builder, raconteur, model ship maker, fisher
and sailor.
The Metacom Education Project has established a Wamsutta
Frank James Memorial Scholarship Fund. Donations may be sent
to P.O. Box 697512, Quincy, MA 02269.
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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