OR, Go to Plymouth Rock on Spanksgiving

If you can't make the New Orleans convergence, http://www.commongroundrelief.org/roadtrip/ ... Come fast, bring the family and a yummy dish to:
36th National Day of Mourning, with United American Indians of New England (UAINE)
Thursday, November 24, 2005 (US "thanksgiving" day), 12-5 PM (rally - march - potluck)
Plymouth, Mass
Or if your family is unfortunately of the delusional, hush-hush Leave it to Beaver type from Pleasantville, leave them behind for a day if you wish, and bring a yummy dish. How will they ever explain your absence to the kids as they celebrate this gluttonous "holiday"? Hopefully the presence of that empty chair will help them feel a little less FULL this year!

from the website http://home.earthlink.net/~uainendom/ :

WHAT IS NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING?

An annual tradition since 1970, Day of Mourning is a solemn, spiritual and highly political day. Many of us fast from sundown the day before through the afternoon of that day (and have a social after Day of Mourning so that participants in DOM can break their fasts). We are mourning our ancestors and the genocide of our peoples and the theft of our lands. NDOM is a day when we mourn, but we also feel our strength in political action. Over the years, participants in Day of Mourning have buried Plymouth Rock a number of times, boarded the Mayflower replica, and placed ku klux klan sheets on the statue of William Bradford, etc.

There will be a march through the historic district of Plymouth. Plymouth has agreed, as part of the settlement of 10/19/98, that UAINE may march on Day of Mourning without the need for a permit as long as we give the town advance notice.

PROGRAM: Although we very much welcome our non-Native supporters to stand with us, it is a day when only Native people speak about our history and the struggles that are taking place throughout the Americas. Speakers will be by invitation only. This year's NDOM is once again dedicated to our brother Leonard Peltier.

SOCIAL: There will be a pot-luck social held after the National Day of Mourning speak-out and march this year. We anticipate that the hall that we have obtained is not large enough to seat everyone at once. We may have to do two seatings. Preference for the first seating will be given to Elders, young children and their mother/caretaker, pregnant women, Disabled people, and people who have traveled a long distance to join National Day of Mourning. Please respect our culture and our wish to ensure that these guests will be the first to be able to sit and eat. With this understanding in mind, please bring non-alcoholic beverages, desserts, fresh fruit & vegetables, and pre-cooked items (turkeys, hams, stuffing, vegetables, casseroles, rice & beans, etc.) that can be easily re-warmed at the social hall prior to the social. Thank you.

TRANSPORTATION: Limited carpool transportation may be available from Boston. Contact the Boston International Action Center at (617) 522-6626.
There is transportation available from New York City via the International Action Center. Call Marie at 212-633-6646 for more information.

Location:
Cole's Hill, Plymouth, Massachusetts: Cole's Hill is the hill above Plymouth Rock in the Plymouth historic waterfront area.

Directions: National Day of Mourning is held by the statue of Massasoit at Cole's Hill. Cole's Hill is the hill rising above Plymouth Rock on the Plymouth waterfront. If you need directions, use Water Street and Leyden Street in Plymouth, MA as your destination at mapquest.com. That will bring you to within a few hundred feet of Plymouth Rock and Cole's Hill. You can probably find a place to park down on Water Street.

Contact: uainendom@earthlink.net (617)232-5135