Unthanksgiving_Day
Unthanksgiving Day
Annual protest, held in opposition to Thanksgiving in the Western United States
Unthanksgiving Day (or Un-Thanksgiving Day), also known as The Indigenous Peoples Sunrise Ceremony, is an event held on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay to honor the indigenous peoples of the Americas and promote their rights.[1] It coincides with the National Day of Mourning held in Massachusetts. The Alcatraz ceremony has been held annually since 1975 to commemorate the protest event of 1969, where the Alcatraz-Red Power Movement (ARPM) occupied the island.[1] It is organized by the International Indian Treaty Council and American Indian Contemporary Arts.[2]
The event is designed to commemorate the survival of Indian tribes following the European colonization of the Americas. Organizers want it to serve in contrast and counter-celebration to the traditional American Thanksgiving in which the Pilgrims shared a meal with the Wampanoag tribe.[3]