On Thanksgiving Day, as millions of Americans feast on turkey and pumpkin pie, Native Americans have mixed feelings about the holiday. The myth that many of us were fed in school—harmony between cultures that led the English settlers and natives of Plymouth to celebrate a bountiful harvest—comes with a painful side of brutal persecution. And for many indigenous people, that persecution continues today, in the form of cultural stereotyping, racism, and dismal socio-economic prospects.
We filed a story for AJ+ on the 45th annual National Day of Mourning, held in Plymouth, Mass. on Thanksgiving Day, and let the diverse voices present at this moving event speak for themselves. An offshoot of Al Jazeera America, AJ+ is a youth-oriented app and social media channel. We’re glad to make this our first story for them, and hope to produce many more.
