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
