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Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Day of Mourning (a.k.a. Thanksgiving)

At noon on every Thanksgiving Day in Plymouth, MA, Coles Hill transforms into a place to remember the oppression of Native People (National Day of Mourning) and the many other cultural groups which continue to be oppressed around the world, while also honoring the Native culture with tradition and ceremony. A statue of Massasoit stands atop the hill.
















It is also a day to dedicated to Leonard Peltier. Post Office Square is a stop on the protest march, as it is where another fighter for NA rights, Metacom (aka King Phillip), son of Massasoit, had his head posted on a stake for twenty years.

The protest march led to arrests a few years ago. A plaque now explains the day. This is one of the results of the court case filed against the town on behalf of Native Americans.