The march and rally took place to mark the genocide of Indigenous Peoples, which began with the arrival of European settlers to Turtle Island (a.k.a. North America) – including the Pilgrims to Plymouth in 1620.
The annual tradition, practiced since 1970, is a solemn day of mourning, solidarity, and action. It coincides with the American celebration of Thanksgiving, a holiday rooted in the US' devastating legacy of settler-colonialism.
"Once again, on so-called Thanksgiving, the United American Indians of New England and our supporters are gathered on this hill to observe a National Day of Mourning for the Indigenous people murdered by settler-colonialism and imperialism worldwide," said Kisha James, whose grandfather began the tradition.
In preparation for the day, many participants fasted from sundown Wednesday in honor of their ancestors and their stolen lands. They are challenging the false narratives around Thanksgiving that cast the feast as a show of friendship between white settlers and Indigenous people.
"Some Wampanoag ancestors did greet the Pilgrims and save them from starvation, and what did we, the Indigenous people of this continent, get in return for this kindness? Genocide, the theft of our lands, the destruction of our traditional ways of life, slavery, starvation, and never-ending oppression," James said.
"The Pilgrims are not ancient history, and we cannot allow their crimes to be sanitized and forgotten," she insisted. "That is why year after year, we have gathered on this hill to tear down the Thanksgiving mythology."