No Thanks: Native Americans Mark Thanksgiving With Sadness

 

While the United States will celebrate Thanksgiving this Thursday, some Americans are marking the day with sadness.

The United American Indians of New England call the national holiday a National Day of Mourning. They will mark the day in Plymouth, Massachusetts, the place where some of North America's first European settlers landed.

Organizers describe the event as a time to remember "the genocide of millions of native people, the theft of native lands and the relentless¹ assault on native culture."

Native American groups have been holding the National Day of Mourning since 1970. But they say their message is especially urgent this year. That is because the town of Plymouth is getting ready to hold a number of events marking the settlers' arrival. The Pilgrims first landed in the Native Americans' land, what is now Massachusetts, nearly 400 years ago.

As the anniversary nears, ancestors of the native people who met the Pilgrims want to make sure the world hears the whole story. The Wampanoag tribe helped the European settlers survive. Its members say the settlers brought diseases, racism² and oppression.

What happens on the National Day of Mourning?

This year, on November 28, people taking part in the National Day of Mourning will gather at mid-day on Cole's Hill. The hill overlooks Plymouth Rock, a memorial to the colonists³' arrival. The area also has a large statue of the Wampanoag leader in 1620.

At the gathering⁴, Native Americans from tribes around New England will beat drums, offer prayers and read speeches. Then they will march through the streets of Plymouth, joined by like-minded supporters.

Organizers say that this year, the marchers will call attention to the situation of missing and murdered native women. They will also note government action on migrants from Latin America and the detentions⁵ of children. The organizers have already made signs saying, "We didn't cross the border – the border crossed us!"

How have the events affected⁶ ideas about Thanksgiving?

Francis Bremer is an expert on the Pilgrims and professor emeritus⁷ of history at Millersville University in Pennsylvania. He thinks the nation is listening better to what the native groups are saying. He calls their message "a side of the story that's too often been ignored."

Paula Peters is a Wampanoag writer and activist⁸. Peters sees progress in how Americans think about their history. They are starting to look past the false Thanksgiving story about Pilgrims and natives living peacefully together, she says.

She adds that the work of native groups continues to honor their ancestors. They are taking their history out of the margins⁹ and moving it to the center of attention.

Words in This Story

relentless – adj. continuing without becoming weaker, less severe

assault – n. attack or criticism

margin¹⁰ – n. the part of a page that is above, below, or to the side of the printed part

1 relentless   

adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的

参考例句：

• The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
• Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

2 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

3 colonists   

n.殖民地开拓者，移民，殖民地居民( colonist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Colonists from Europe populated many parts of the Americas. 欧洲的殖民者移居到了美洲的许多地方。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some of the early colonists were cruel to the native population. 有些早期移居殖民地的人对当地居民很残忍。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

5 detentions   

拘留( detention的名词复数 )； 扣押； 监禁； 放学后留校

参考例句：

• Teachers may assign detention tasks as they wish and some detentions have been actually dangerous. 老师可能随心所欲指派关禁闭的形式，有些禁闭事实上很危险。
• Intimidation, beatings and administrative detentions are often enough to prevent them from trying again. 恐吓，拷打和行政拘留足以阻止请愿者二次进京的脚步。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

7 emeritus   

adj.名誉退休的

参考例句：

• "Perhaps I can introduce Mr.Lake Kirby,an emeritus professor from Washington University?"请允许我介绍华盛顿大学名誉教授莱克柯尔比先生。
• He will continue as chairman emeritus.他将会继续担任荣誉主席。

8 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

9 margins   

边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数

参考例句：

• They have always had to make do with relatively small profit margins. 他们不得不经常设法应付较少的利润额。
• To create more space between the navigation items, add left and right margins to the links. 在每个项目间留更多的空隙，加左或者右的margins来定义链接。

10 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。