National Day of Mourning ‘98 Orientation
for Plymouth, Thursday, November 26
United American Indians of New England
November 4, 1998
REMINDER : All out for National Day of Mourning Thursday Nov 26 12:00 Noon Cole's Hill (overlooks Plymouth Rock) Plymouth Mass npcboston@yahoo.com Bus leaves 284 Amory St Jamaica Plain (Near Stonybrook on Orange Line) 9 am. Suggested donation $10. Call 617-522-6626 to reserve a seat. Click to Volunteer for National Day of Mourning / sign up for bus (Please place the IAC in your bookmarks before you go!)
Orientation for National Day of Mourning ‘98
Press release of 10/19 including some highlights of the settlement we reached with Plymouth.
NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING: Support United American Indians of New England
FREE LEONARD PELTIER
Since 1970, Native Americans have gathered at Cole's Hill in Plymouth to commemorate a Nation Day of Mourning on the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. Many Native Americans do not celebrate the arrival of the Pilgrims and other European settlers. To them, Thanksgiving day is a reminder of the genocide of millions of their people, the theft of their lands, and the relentless assault on their culture.
Partipants in a National Day of Mourning honor Native ancestors and the struggles of Native peoples to survive today. It is a day of remembrance and spiritual connection as well as a protest of the racism and oppression which indigenous people continue to experience.
The United American Indians of New England have called on supporters to join them this year at Cole Hill. There will be a bus leaving from Baltimore to attend this important event. Please call the All Peoples Congress at (410) 235-7040 for logistics and information.
Funds are desperately needed to provide scholarships to those who can not afford the trip. A round trip bus seat costs $60. If you are not able to make the protest yourself, consider providing a scholarship for another person. Contributions over $50 can be made tax deductible. Checks can be made to Day of Mourning/APC and sent to APC, 426 E. 31st St., Baltimore, Maryland 21218.
National Day of Mourning, November 26, 12 Noon, Plymouth, Massachussetts.
If you can not go, set aside time that day to speak the truth!!!
Dear Sisters and Brothers:
Here is an orientation for National Day of Mourning ‘98. We realize this is pretty long, but we are trying to answer at least most of the questions we have been asked about it in recent months. Things are happening very quickly, so please be patient with us if we overlook something or cannot return your call or e-mail right away. We look forward to seeing you in Plymouth on what we believe will be an historic day.
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 sun-down the day before through the afternoon of that day (and often have a social after Day of Mourning so that participants in NDOM 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 gathering together and in political action. For example, we have often marched in Plymouth to point out the true history of the European invasion of our lands. Every year since 1976, we have demanded freedom for Leonard Peltier and other political prisoners and called upon participants to take action to make this happen..
WHEN AND WHERE IS DAY OF MOURNING?
Thursday, November 26, 1998 (U.S. "thanksgiving" day), Cole's Hill, Plymouth, Massachusetts, 12 noon SHARP. (Cole’s Hill is the hill above Plymouth Rock in the Plymouth downtown waterfront area.)
WILL THERE BE A MARCH?
There will be a march this year through the waterfront 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. DRUMS: Native drummers and singers are welcomed.
PROGRAM:
Although we welcome our non-Native supporters to stand with us, it is a day when Native people only speak about our history and what is going on with us now, such as the continued imprisonment of Leonard Peltier, the attacks of the Mexican government on the people of Chiapas, and other Indigenous struggles that are taking place throughout the Americas. This year, because of the number of people expected to attend, speakers will be by invitation only. We need to know in advance what Native organizations will be in attendance at NDOM. Because of time constraints, not everyone who wants to do so will be able to speak, but we want to acknowledge and welcome everyone, especially guests from out of town.
VENDORS/LITERATURE:
NDOM is not a pow-wow nor a day to make money or entertain the tourists. We do not allow anyone to buy or sell merchandise at Cole’s Hill under any circumstances. There are 364 other days in the year when people can do so. If you have literature that is free, we will provide a place for you to put it. If you try to sell literature or other merchandise on Cole’s Hill, our Peacekeepers will ask you to stop. Native elders involved with UAINE and Day of Mourning since 1970 have been very clear on this point.
The only exception is that we usually have a blanket dance to raise funds for the Peltier Defense Committee and UAINE.
POT-LUCK SOCIAL: We hope to have a pot-luck social following NDOM. Because seating may be limited, it is possible that people may need to eat in shifts. We ask that you respect our custom that elders, women and young children eat first. People who do not respect our customs will be asked to leave. Please bring something with you to eat or drink (no alcohol), but please do NOT bring anything that needs to be cooked. We do not know yet whether we will have a hall with kitchen facilities, so we may only be able to reheat cooked items.
WEATHER:
It is often cold and very windy. We cannot predict whether there will be rain or snow. Please dress for the weather. Dress in layers, and remember that you will be standing outside on cold ground for at least a couple of hours. This year, the First Parish Church has kindly offered to open its social hall so that there is a place nearby where elders, children and others who need to do so can get in out of the cold and have some hot chocolate or coffee. The organization Food Not Bombs has offered to assist us with this.
VOLUNTEERS:
Volunteers are needed for many tasks. We have asked the Boston chapter of the National Peoples Campaign to coordinate volunteers and housing. Please contact them at (617) 522-6626 or npcboston@yahoo.com.
HOUSING AND CAMPING:
Volunteers are currently working up a list of available motels and camping sites as well as housing in supporters’ homes and floor space at area churches. We have asked the Boston chapter of the National Peoples Campaign to coordinate housing. Please contact them at (617) 522-6626 or npcboston@yahoo.com . Although they will do their best to try and match folks up with housing, they cannot guarantee housing.
TRANSPORTATION:
Limited bus seats will be available from the following cities. Please let us know if you know of other buses or car caravans. Boston: Buses. Contact the NPC at (617) 522-6626. New York: Buses. Contact the NPC at (212) 633-6646. Philadelphia: Contact the NPC at (215) 724-1618. Baltimore: Contact the NPC at (410) 235-7040.
FUNDING:
UAINE is in serious need of monetary donations for Day of Mourning this year, so that we may purchase paper products and other items for the social, for subsidized seats on buses, for printing and mailing, tables and chairs, sound and stage, you name it! Please give whatever you can afford to help with this historic event. We are pleased to announce that a grant from the Haymarket People’s Fund will help us to defray some of these costs.
CAN’T GET TO DAY OF MOURNING? S
ome people who live too far away to travel are having a Day of Mourning right where they live. For example, we just heard from the AIM Central Indiana Support Group, who wrote, " I am writing to find out what can we do to help. We will not be able to join you at the rally, but we are going to try to hold a small rally in our hometown. I was just wondering what else can we do to help bring this issue to light in Indiana. Also on this day we will be praying that all goes well there and we will be there in spirit." This is great, and we encourage more people to take steps locally to increase awareness about the past and continuing mistreatment of Native peoples.
To get more information, to find out how you can help, and to find out about other events being organized by United American Indians of New England, please contact us!
Name________________________________________________________________
Address:__________________________________________________________________________
Phone:_________________________________ E-mail:________________________
Organization:_______________________________________________________
____Members/representatives from my organization will attend Day of Mourning this year.
____I’m enclosing a donation of $_______ to help UAINE with National Day of Mourning.
United American Indians of New England National Day of Mourning ‘98 Volunteer Sign Up Sheet
Please note: Due to the expected large turn-out for the 29th National Day of Mourning, United American Indians of New England has asked the National Peoples Campaign to coordinate volunteers in order to ensure that NDOM ‘98 goes smoothly.
Name________________________________________________________
Address______________________________________________________
Phone_______________________________E-mail___________________
Organization____________________________________________
I am interested in working on the following:
POT LUCK SOCIAL: 1. Kitchen (set-up and operation) 2. Food 3. Clean-up
HOUSING: Note: All housing should be located within an hour’s drive or so from Plymouth.
_______I have space in my home for_______persons. ____ sleeping bag spaces ____ beds Please indicate what nights you could make the space available: ___Wednesday, November 26th ___Thursday, November 27th _______I am unable to provide housing but would be willing to make calls to: 1. Local hotels and motels 2. Churches about making available halls for sleeping, etc. 3. Friends, neighbors, groups, etc. about the availability of space in private homes. _______I need housing for ________ persons. (Please indicate which nights) ___Wednesday, November 26th ___Thursday, November 27th
OUTREACH:
1. Leafleting (campuses, pow-wows, etc.)
2. Internet 3. Calling or faxing organizations with information regarding Day of Mourning.
TRANSPORTATION:
1. I can provide transportation for _____ people from__________________.
2. I need transportation for _________ people from_____________________.
Please return this form to: NPC, 31 Germania Street, Boston, MA 02130 or call
(617) 522-6626.
or e-mail to npcboston@yahoo.com
Press release of 10/19 including some highlights of the settlement we reached with Plymouth.
United American Indians of New England
uaine19@idt.net
P.O. Box 697501
Quincy, MA 02269
Telephone 781-331-3690
Visit our website at http://idt.net/~uaine19