For more than a century and a half, the U.S. has observed Thanksgiving Day as a federal holiday. Its roots date back more than 400 years and consistently intersect with violence against Native Americans. In 1637, Massachusetts Colony Gov. John Winthrop established a Thanksgiving celebration to honor colonial volunteer soldiers who massacred 700 Pequot tribe members. In 1676, colonists celebrated the brutal killing of Wampanoag Sachem Massasoit, whose head was placed on a pike and displayed for 25 years. The slaying took place during King Philip’s War, which led to the deaths of thousands of Native Americans. In an effort to highlight the true history of Thanksgiving and the genocide perpetrated against Native Americans, tribes have established ceremonies like the National Day of Mourning honoring the many Indigenous lives lost to genocide and advocating for Native American rights. First held in 1970 by the United American Indians of New England (UAINE), the National Day of Mourning occurs every third Thursday in November at Cole’s Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts. ”Thanksgiving Day is a reminder of the genocide of millions of Native people, the theft of Native lands, and the erasure of Native cultures,” UAINE notes. “Participants in National Day of Mourning honor Indigenous ancestors and Native resilience. It is a day of remembrance and spiritual connection, as well as a protest against the racism and oppression that Indigenous people continue to experience worldwide.” Read more