On October 8, 2011, the General Assembly of Occupy Boston ratified a memorandum of solidarity with Native Americans and declared Columbus Day to be Indigenous People’s Day. In response, the United American Indians of New England(UAINE) released a statement of support for Occupy/Decolonize Boston. This support for the movement from indigenous people was later followed by support from the American Indian Movement in Minnesota. Below is the UAINE statement, which includes an invitation to refute the Pilgrims’ “Thanksgiving” mythology and instead join the National Day of Mourning for Native Americans. 
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United American Indians of New England (UAINE) supports Occupy/Decolonize Boston and the Occupy/Decolonize Wall Street movement generally.
We are deeply moved and encouraged that Occupy/Decolonize Boston, as one of its very first actions, issued a memorandum in solidarity with Indigenous peoples. This country and its immense wealth were founded on the genocide of Native peoples, the theft of our lands and resources, and the enslavement and forced labor of our African sisters and brothers. We have been the victims of corporate greed for centuries. If you seek to reimagine a new society free of corporate greed, then we would ask that you learn all you can about the past that has carried us to this place.
The Occupy Wall Street movement is still forming and evolving. We call upon veteran activists to embrace and nurture this important new development, which is like a precious seedling. We all have much to learn from each other. We welcome this convergence of youth and students, People of Color, poor and working people — whether office workers, unemployed people, low wage workers or trade union members —, homeless people, LGBTQ people, disabled people, veterans, immigrants, and people from many other sectors of society. We are all coming together in shared spaces, to share our anger and despair at current political and economic conditions, to plan direct actions, to learn from and understand one another. Together, we can forge a new movement that will sweep away all of the corporate special interests that devastate all living creatures and threaten to destroy our beautiful planet.
We fully support the right of the Occupy/Decolonize Boston encampment to expand from Dewey Square to other parks and open spaces in the city, without the necessity of permits and without fear of police reprisals.
We invite all involved in Occupy/Decolonize Boston to attend the National Day of Mourning in Plymouth, Massachusetts on November 24 at 12 noon. Every year since 1970, Native people and our supporters have come together to refute the mythology of the Pilgrims and declare the US thanksgiving holiday a National Day of Mourning for Native Americans. On that day, we mourn our ancestors. We speak about our history and about current conditions in Indian Country. We express our solidarity with our undocumented sisters and brothers who are under attack and with others in struggle, from Haiti to Palestine. And we demand freedom for Native political prisoner Leonard Peltier. We stand with you now. Come stand with us on November 24.
End war and racism! Honor Native treaties! Stop the destruction of our Earth!
United American Indians of New England (UAINE)
Web: http://uaine.org/
Email: info (at) uaine (dot) org
Facebook group: United American Indians of New England
17 Responses to “United American Indians of New England supports OB, encourages Day of Mourning”
Happy Thanksgiving
Why does Occupy Boston keep getting involved in absolutely every issue – in the world? You need to stay on focus – or you will lose your movement – we all want to save the world but you have to stick to something and work from there first – it’s getting a bit out of hand – my boyfriend is Native American and he really doesn’t understand why you’re putting the movement in jeopardy to take up every cause on earth – especially something so impertinent – we see it as people wanting retribution for something not caused by our generation – somehow deserving special privileges as that retribution – it’s greed in and of itself – they want something for themselves – something more than others who are also born of this time and generation for a history they didn’t live. I don’t want to see this on your front page as I wake up on Thanksgiving. You should be planning a Black Friday march against consumerism. I take offense as a working person that Native people think they deserve something extra. Equal is equal is equal rights – instead of this it’s our turn now entitlement victim mentality that’s dividing the country apart. Read the Handicapper General by Vonnegut. I find these type of arguments offensive as someone who has always fought on behalf of equal rights. We’re talking about a caste system forming now not who’s ancestors had it better or who pillaged who back in the 1700’s. We all know it was wrong – but you just want to rehash it to serve a purpose that does not serve equal rights. This cause is about people from the same caste coming together to change the system – these types of ethnic arguments are dividing that cause. We all have the sour end of the stick and should be in this together not as Black Occupy or Native Occupy or whatever – are we one cause or not? This is about freedom and finance and corruption and a caste system – this is not about race. I’ve never seen people more focused on this issue of race than now – and people keep bringing to the forefront of every argument – it’s becoming old, not only one particular race is suffering in this economy we all are.
Because, “e”, it is important that we exemplify the principles we are standing for in every manifestation that they show themselves in. Knowledge is power against those who seek to submerge humanity for their own power and greed. Here is an excellent article on the Truth about Thanksgiving. Make of it what you will, but a lot of it happened right here, IN Massachusetts:
The Truth About Thanksgiving: Brainwashing of the American History Textbook
http://brokenmystic.wordpress.com/2008/11/27/the-truth-about-thanksgiving-brainwashing-of-the-american-history-textbook/
I don’t think Occupy should take on re-righting every wrong of history. Nor am I denying history – my point is we must stick to the point to fight corporate corruption and government collusion. I am for equal rights and “Mourning” my culture and traditions is rude and implies if I celebrate my own traditions it somehow means I’m tearing down the culture or ethnicity of another. The point of Thanksgiving in America is not to denegrate Native Americans like it’s some sort of KKK feast – in fact the Native A’s helped the pilgrims and shared of their bounty – a better point to make for Occupy – the sharing of wealth and bounty…not fore fronting ethnic divides on your pages. Aside from which many tribes also killed the immigrant settlers who came to their lands, not exactly all peace and love – so we need to get past the past – to move forward. Look at parts of the middle east where people are still fighting each other for things that happened thousands of years ago – and it’s not exactly a place I would want to go and live. Let’s not begin that type of thing here in America is all I’m saying. Does this UAINE want something extra? (To somehow feel -entitled- to more sympathy or get more of a voice) than other working poor who are also equally economically disenfranchised just not of the same ancestry?)This is starting to remind me of the Gaza strip – demanding retribution and fighting over land – “let’s make others pay for the actions of their ancestors and hold century long grudges and attack on ethnic divides” – let’s start calling some more disenfranchised than others because of their ancestry or ethnicity – Dr. King would not approve and these are not peaceable arguments – aside from which I’m starting to wonder if the people running this movement are a little bit soft for thinking that dividing people this way is a good idea to do. I was very much a supporter of this movement and the ideals it represents – but you’re losing me and – anyone else who deeply believes in equal rights for all. Biggest point of all is you’re living in today’s time – TODAY not hundreds of years ago – wake up and do what needs to be done now to address the very core issue underlying everything (all of the fringe issues -sidetracking you and creating debate and white noise and distraction- stem from the infiltration of our government by corporate power subverting the rights of the people) – ALL people …or we could start attacking people’s traditions and create a culture/ ethnic war that completely diverts from the point of the entire protest.
Reply
As an American, I feel convulsed in shame every day, but on Thanksgiving that feeling is particularly acute.
Feeling that way is the mirror image of American triumphalism. Why can’t people get a little perspective about this country?
on November 24th, 2011 at 1:07 pm #
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I am thankful they fed and helped my family on that first Thanksgiving. As far as I know my family never did anything wrong to the Indians. But I did have one ancestor who was one of the last slave owners in New England. All his fellow Congregationalists (I think) had to take up collections to buy and free several slaves from him. First several children and then a woman. He owned the wife of the church bell wringer. My ancestor’s name was Ebenezer.
We all stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, for both the good and the bad. All current non-native Americans live in a society which benefits from the theft of Native American land.
The steady destruction of our economy by the 1% does, indeed, have impact on all races. But, the median income on reservations is noticeably less than the national, poverty rate is much higher and unemployment on reservations in the west is above 25%. Can you imagine living in a community with 80-85% of your neighbors unemployed? This is the reality of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
What is pertinent was eloquently written above by the United American Indians of New England:
“The Occupy Wall Street movement is still forming and evolving. We call upon veteran activists to embrace and nurture this important new development, which is like a precious seedling. We all have much to learn from each other. We welcome this convergence of youth and students, People of Color, poor and working people — whether office workers, unemployed people, low wage workers or trade union members —, homeless people, LGBTQ people, disabled people, veterans, immigrants, and people from many other sectors of society. We are all coming together in shared spaces, to share our anger and despair at current political and economic conditions, to plan direct actions, to learn from and understand one another. Together, we can forge a new movement that will sweep away all of the corporate special interests that devastate all living creatures and threaten to destroy our beautiful planet.”
Together.
ahh I see- forging movements via stepping on cultural traditions of one group over another – seems sort of manipulative to me. Also so what if they have a higher percentage of poverty than other ethnic groups? – should we stop allowing other groups to vote to balance it out maybe tax them less? Or perhaps would it be better to attack the core issue of economic divide in this country which has to do with lack of upward mobility and caste systems in this country perpetuated and created by corporations corrupting our government to make decisions that affect upward mobility for all?
Day of mourning? Please? Earliest human bones found in North America belong to Caucasians so apparently we should mourn for them first. Funny the Native Americans were still hunting and eating each other on this continent before we got here. Manifest destiny outweighs cannibalism any day. The 99% are not into your crap. You are extreme leftists and do not represent us. remember i told you Van Jones told you to go home and wait for phase 2? It is kind of happening isn’t uit? another week and you all will be home. You just need to brainwash the useful idiots the reason why. Happy Thanksgiving
A few hundred years ago even the British would systematically murder whole villages of their fellow white people in Ireland. Oh and I just remembered WWII as I was writing that. Its hard to implement justice when it’s just woodlands. I grew up in the deep woods of Southern Illinois. Our teacher told us some of the young Indian guys from where we lived would go all the way up here to New England to pillage every Summer and then return home. How are you going to stop guys that can do something like that and everything is all woods? I think the problem with North America is that the horse went extinct here during the last Ice Age. I think that one tragedy is what kept the people of America from having a more modern civilization. I am presuming there would have been tin available to mine to get into a Bronze Age.
What a load of schizoid nonsense. Your views are extremist and you do not belong to 99% of anything.
“e” wrote:
“I take offense as a working person that Native people think they deserve something extra.”
Is that really what you get out of this? I didn’t see any Native people asking for “extra.” What do you think the people whose descendents were slaughtered by Europeans ought to do on Thanksgiving? I think a day of mourning is incredibly appropriate. I would also note that it’s a private ceremony; it’s not like they’re forcing their views down anyone’s throat. You’re welcome to not attend; I don’t see why you’re so offended by it.
Occupy Boston reached out to the American Indians out of respect, and apparently the UAINE appreciated their efforts. I don’t see why you are responding to it in such a personal manner. You imply the American Indians have an “entitlement mentality” and that you don’t want to “read about this” when you wake up on Thanksgiving morning. Occupy Boston posted it, not the UAINE. If you don’t want to read it, then don’t. But I have a hard time envisioning you as someone who “has always fought on behalf of equal rights.”
This movement is inchoate, so I hope I will be forgiven for an inchoate comment. What troubles me about this – and similar actions on behalf of other groups – is precisely its focus on a group. It separates us when we should be united. We should focus instead on making our democracy work for all individuals, whatever their background. Anyhow, holidays are stupid. We shouldn’t let them get on our nerves this way.
I don’t think Occupy should take on re-writing every wrong of history. We must stick to the point to fight corporate corruption and government collusion. Also -why exactly is that so hard to envision that I’m for equal rights? “Mourning” my culture and traditions is rude like if I celebrate my own traditions it somehow means I’m tearing down the culture or ethnicity of another? The point of Thanksgiving in America surely is not to desecrate Native Americans like it’s some sort of KKK feast – in fact the Native A’s helped the pilgrims and shared of their bounty – a better point to make for Occupy – the sharing of wealth and bounty…not fore fronting ethnic divides on your pages. Aside from which many tribes also killed the immigrant settlers who came to their lands, not exactly all peace and love – so we need to get past the past – to move forward. Look at parts of the middle east where people are still fighting each other for things that happened thousands of years ago – and it’s not exactly a place I would want to go and live. Let’s not begin that type of thing here in America is all I’m saying. Does this UAINE want something extra? (To somehow feel -entitled- to more sympathy or get more of a voice) than other working poor who are also equally economically disenfranchised just not of the same ancestry?)
meant to say re-righting