National Day of Mourning

National Day of Mourning, observed on November 27, is a time to remember and honor the Indigenous people who suffered and died as a result of colonization. It offers an opportunity to reflect on the fuller history surrounding Thanksgiving, including the loss of Native lives, land, culture, and sovereignty.

The observance also celebrates Indigenous resilience, strength, and continuing traditions. Through remembrance, education, speeches, and community gatherings, people are encouraged to listen to Indigenous voices, recognize historical injustices, and support a more truthful and respectful understanding of American history.

The **National Day of Mourning**, observed on **November 27**, is an Indigenous-led observance associated with remembrance, protest, and cultural affirmation. Its modern history began in 1970, when Wampanoag leader Frank James—also known as Wamsutta—was invited to speak at a Massachusetts commemoration connected with the 350th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ arrival. After organizers rejected his prepared remarks because they criticized the treatment of Native peoples, James and other supporters gathered instead at Cole’s Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This gathering became the first National Day of Mourning.

The observance challenges traditional celebratory narratives about the colonial founding of New England. Participants remember the lives lost through warfare, disease, dispossession, and the suppression of Indigenous cultures following European colonization. They also honor the Wampanoag people and other Native nations whose histories and continuing presence are often overlooked in accounts of the colonial period. The event therefore serves both as a memorial and as a public statement about historical truth and Indigenous rights.

Over time, the National Day of Mourning developed into a recurring demonstration featuring speeches, prayers, songs, marches, and community gatherings. Its focus has expanded beyond the events of the seventeenth century to include contemporary issues such as sovereignty, racism, environmental protection, the preservation of Native languages and traditions, and opposition to stereotypes and cultural appropriation. Although the observance is solemn, it is also an occasion for solidarity, education, and celebration of Indigenous survival.

Observed on **November 27**, the National Day of Mourning holds cultural significance because it offers an Indigenous perspective alongside—and often in opposition to—popular national stories of Thanksgiving. Supporters use the day to mourn historical and ongoing injustices while affirming the resilience, identity, and political sovereignty of Native communities. It remains an important reminder that public memory is shaped by whose experiences are included and whose are left out.