On October 8, 2011, the General Assembly of Occupy Boston ratified a memorandum of solidarity with Native Americans and declared Columbus Day to be Indigenous People’s Day. In response, the United American Indians of New England(UAINE) released a statement of support for Occupy/Decolonize Boston. This support for the movement from indigenous people was later followed by support from the American Indian Movement in Minnesota. Below is the UAINE statement, which includes an invitation to refute the Pilgrims’ “Thanksgiving” mythology and instead join the National Day of Mourning for Native Americans. 

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United American Indians of New England (UAINE) supports Occupy/Decolonize Boston and the Occupy/Decolonize Wall Street movement generally.

We are deeply moved and encouraged that Occupy/Decolonize Boston, as one of its very first actions, issued a memorandum in solidarity with Indigenous peoples.  This country and its immense wealth were founded on the genocide of Native peoples, the theft of our lands and resources, and the enslavement and forced labor of our African sisters and brothers.  We have been the victims of corporate greed for centuries.  If you seek to reimagine a new society free of corporate greed, then we would ask that you learn all you can about the past that has carried us to this place.

The Occupy Wall Street movement is still forming and evolving. We call upon veteran activists to embrace and nurture this important new development, which is like a precious seedling.  We all have much to learn from each other.  We welcome this convergence of youth and students, People of Color, poor and working people — whether office workers, unemployed people, low wage workers or trade union members —, homeless people, LGBTQ people, disabled people, veterans, immigrants, and people from many other sectors of society.  We are all coming together in shared spaces, to share our anger and despair at current political and economic conditions, to plan direct actions, to learn from and understand one another.  Together, we can forge a new movement that will sweep away all of the corporate special interests that devastate all living creatures and threaten to destroy our beautiful planet.

We fully support the right of the Occupy/Decolonize Boston encampment to expand from Dewey Square to other parks and open spaces in the city, without the necessity of permits and without fear of police reprisals.

We invite all involved in Occupy/Decolonize Boston to attend the National Day of Mourning in Plymouth, Massachusetts on November 24 at 12 noon. Every year since 1970, Native people and our supporters have come together to refute the mythology of the Pilgrims and declare the US thanksgiving holiday a National Day of Mourning for Native Americans.  On that day, we mourn our ancestors.  We speak about our history and about current conditions in Indian Country.  We express our solidarity with our undocumented sisters and brothers who are under attack and with others in struggle, from Haiti to Palestine.  And we demand freedom for Native political prisoner Leonard Peltier.  We stand with you now.  Come stand with us on November 24.

End war and racism!  Honor Native treaties!  Stop the destruction of our Earth!

United American Indians of New England (UAINE)

Web: http://uaine.org/

Email: info (at) uaine (dot) org

Facebook group:  United American Indians of New England

As always, we’ll be meeting tonight at 7:00pm on the main stage at Dewey Sq for our General Assembly. It’s shouldn’t rain, but it’s going to be a really cold, so please dress warmly!

Among other things, we’re anticipating an announcement from our legal team about the injunction hearing on December 1st.

On deck for proposals is one from the outreach working group about language they are hoping to bring to the Boston City Council. Here’s a snippet of the resolution language:

RESOLUTION supporting the peaceful exercise of the First Amendment carried out by “Occupy Boston.”

WHEREAS, Boston residents like people across the United States, are alternately angered and frustrated by the continuing economic and political crisis that threatens individuals’ and our city’s fiscal stability and our community’s quality of life; and

WHEREAS, “Occupy Boston” is a peaceful protest and rally fueled by Boston residents and people from throughout the region from all walks of life who have come together to support the national movement started by the “Occupy Wall Street” protests; and

WHEREAS, additional “Occupy” protests have taken root across the country, and across the globe and are a growing movement with the shared goal of urging residents to peaceably assemble in public spaces in order to create a shared dialogue to address the problems and generate solutions for economically distressed people; and

Check out the whole resolution on the wiki, and see you tonight!

The following statement was read by members of the Occupy Boston Women’s Caucus during the General Assembly on Saturday, November 18:

We, the women of Occupy Boston, are here to tell you that two months is far too long to have occupied without a feminist perspective.

Downwardly-mobile middle-class white men are finally realizing what women and people of color have known for too long. Capitalism is destructive. Capitalism oppresses and exploits. If you’re not talking about sexism and racism, you’re not talking about economic justice.

“A few bad apples” can’t exist without a community that condones their attitudes and behaviors. Oppressive language and behavior are an effort to limit our participation and silence our voice.

We chose to disrupt the GA because those with privilege have avoided spaces devoted to anti-oppression, when they are the ones who most need to hear this.

As the 99%, we must actively break down the systems which divide us.

Women have historically been the spine of social justice. We are the 52%, without us, revolution is impossible.